A Virtuous Business – K-drama Episode 8 Recap & Review

Catching Feelings

Episode 8 of A Virtuous Business begins with Do-hyeon awakening after his bad dream. It turns out it was all a dream that he hugged her. Anyway, she gets her notepad back and Jeong-suk remains determined to help the good detective as best she can.

On the way home, she comes up with an idea. She wants to try and encourage a bunch of the women to head over to the movie theatre. There’s an erotic film on and this may help entice people to buy the gear they have. At the same time, she can suss out if anybody may be a potential candidate to be Do-hyeon’s mum.

Jeong-suk uses this as an opportunity to chase up both the religion and rosary ring that Do-hyeon’s mum might have been wearing. Jeong-suk is really into this and thinks she may have cracked it but Do-hyeon is quick to gently let her down over the current theories. After all, he’s already ruled out a good number of people in town so it’s not going to be that easy!

However, Yeong-bok isn’t there as she’s busy with big news. She’s definitely pregnant and reveals as much to Jong-seon that afternoon. She’s worried as there may be a chance of miscarrying. Jong-seon is a little upset over the idea of aborting, but Yeong-bok knows their situation is difficult and it’s just not the right time for them. However, that’s not to say it’s an easy choice for her to make.

Jong-seon, predictably, finds himself struggling to get work given he’s an ex-convict. He eventually agrees to hear out Du-seok, who wants to rob a jewellery store. In exchange for 3 million won, all he needs to do is sit in the car and wait. However, Jong-seon is torn between his loyalty to his family and the state of poverty he currently finds himself in.

Meanwhile, Won-bong finds himself in hot water too. He ends up scheduling an event with Chairman Eom on the same day as his wedding anniversary. They’ve never celebrated it properly the whole time they’ve been together and the first time they’re actually on the same page and getting along well, and Won-bong has undone all that hard work. 

The thing is, it should be a big deal for Won-bong, as we later find out he actually kissed for the first time after his wedding. He was “very prudent and pure”, and was madly in love with her for a long time too.

Geum-hui speaks to Yeong-bok about her marriage, but unfortunately they’re rudely interrupted by Du-seok showing up. Yeong-bok hurriedly shrugs him off, but it’s clear she’s rattled by him returning. She takes it out on Jong-seon when she heads home, reminding him that she’s given up hope of him getting a job a long time around. He’s doing so though, despite it being hopeless, because he’s worried about the strain of surgery on her body.

Eventually he leaves, and sits by the bus-stop, with his paper completely devoid of job opportunities, and wonders what to do. He stays out drinking a lot of the night, before heading back in at 2am. He pulls the covers up for all the kids and then apologizes to Yeong-bok, sniffling and telling her he just wants to be a good husband. He doesn’t realize that she’s still awake and he holds back his tears as he silently cries next to his family.

Meanwhile, Jeong-suk and Do-hyeon head off and continue their hunt to find Do-hyeon’s mum. His feelings for Jeong-suk are clearly turning romantic, and he admires her in a new hanbok. The owner doesn’t appear to be Do-hyeon’s mum though, but she similarly has been hit with tragedy. Her child has gone missing and she couldn’t eat or drink for a while.  Through all of this, she’s convinced that he’ll come back soon. She’s also sure that Do-hyeon’s mum is probably looking for him.

That night, Won-bong realizes the error of his ways and cancels his trip with the Chairman. Instead, he claims he has a holiday he needs to go on, which is obviously all the time he needs to dote on Geum-hui and spend time with her. Through these moments, flashbacks also shed light on how they came together, and how hard Won-bong worked to win over this “modern woman”.

Meanwhile, Jeong-suk receives big news too. Because she got first place in selling the lingerie for the first half of the year, she’s now going to be the branch manager of Geumje. It’s 100,000 won a month and she can’t stop smiling.

Yeong-bok speaks to Geum-hui in confidence and is relieved when she doesn’t think badly of her husband. In fact, Geum-hui wanted to talk with her in order to hand over a gift. She’s never raised kids herself but she has a really beautiful gift for Yeong-bok’s. She found picking it out very fun and admits that she’s jealous of Yeong-bok’s house. She knows that everyone has struggles and Yeong-bok is touched by her friend’s generosity and thoughtfulness.

Jeong-suk runs into Do-hyeon and excitedly shares with him the good news. However, he’s a bit standoffish with her. Do-hyeon’s behaviour stems from his conflicted feelings. He receives a call from Jeong-suk that night and he struggles to say exactly how he feels. However, when he leans forward, he elbows the wrong button and hangs up on her. He tries in vain to call her back and find the right words, but in the end he can’t.

Thankfully, Jeong-suk shows up outside his house that night and she helps to break the ice. She thinks it’s because he doesn’t want to work with him, but that’s not the truth. Do-hyeon finally plucks up the courage and admits the truth. He becomes confused when he’s with her, and he leans forward, hugging her close.

These good vibes are shattered though when Jong-sen, flustered, rushes to the phone booth and makes a call. Someone has been killed.

The Episode Review

A Virtuous Business has evolved from a simple quirky comedy about selling lingerie to something much more layered and intriguing. The main leads each have their own subplots and we’re finally seeing those play out, with layered flashbacks and ideas to chew through. Yeong-bok started off as this quirky mother and the typical “I have loads of kids and work hard, but I’m also the comedy relief” angle, to something that’s turning into the best storyline in this series.

Jong-seon and Yeong-bok work so well together as a couple; both trying to do right by their kids and stay on the straight and narrow. I’m hoping that ending is just a misunderstanding though and not something that’s going to ruin their relationship. Perhaps Du-hyeon has been killed and Jong-seon was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We shall see.

Yeong-bok speaking to Geum-hui about kids, and how the latter has never had them but finds it fun, could kill two birds with one stone. Could Yeong-bok have her baby and then let Geum-hui adopt them? This is kinda where I’m thinking this one is going.

I’m hoping we see more of Geum-hui’s family life next time, to be honest, because her idea of being a modern woman but stuck as a housewife feels like a contradiction of ideas that doesn’t quite gel.

As for Jeong-suk and Do-hyeon, their cute interactions are great and definitely a highlight here. Seeing Do-hyeon try to avoid his true feelings, despite the beginning being a dream sequence (thanks show!) is really good and definitely whets the appetite for where this may go next.

All in all, this is easily one of the stronger weekend dramas right now and definitely a must-watch.