Family By Choice – K-drama Episode 8 Recap & Review

Episode 8

Episode 8 of Family By Choice starts with Dae-wook and San-ha arriving at the hospital in Seoul. The two make it  as Jung-hee’s brother informs them about her condition. Jung-hee will undergo surgery but has a weak heart. He adds that Jung-hee’s husband and So-hee’s father died in the accident.

The next morning, the doctor tells Jung-hee’s family that the surgery was successful and that she’s out of danger. San-ha is relieved and texts Hae-joon to let him know. San-ha visits his mother in the ICU and is saddened upon seeing her state.

The next morning, San-ha tells his uncle that he will stay in Seoul to look after So-hee. Dae-wook talks to San-ha in private and asks him to refrain from taking up a responsibility that’s not his. San-ha tells Dae-wook that he will stay until Jung-hee wakes up because he is the only family that So-hee has now. 

Dae-wook makes it back to the countryside and tells Jung-jae that San-ha will stay back in Seoul for a few days. He wonders why San-ha has taken up this responsibility after how Jung-hee treated him over the years. Ju-won is visibly upset and worries that he will not be able to take care of himself.

The next morning, Ju-won tells San-ha all about her day and reveals that she misses him, even though it has only been a day since he left for Seoul. At the dinner table that night, Ju-won asks Jung-jae and Dae-wook to take her to meet San-ha. Both men refuse, claiming that they have work.

Ju-won decides to go on her own and makes it to the hospital. So-hee gets jealous when San-ha is texting Ju-won. She asks San-ha to buy him a drink from the hospital cafeteria. There, Ju-won spots him but the nurse brings So-hee to San-ha. So-hee calls San-ha “oppa” which makes Ju-won upset.

Ju-won realises that she would never be San-ha’s real sister as they were not related by blood and leaves without meeting him. Meanwhile, Hae-joon starts looking for part-time jobs when he runs into Dal who is going home after her tutoring classes. He learns that Ju-won lied about hanging out with Dal. He waits outside the station for Ju-won to return and scolds her for not using her phone battery sparingly.

That night, Jung-jae tells Madam that he’s decided to keep the noodle shop open until midnight. Madam tells Hae-joon that Jung-jae is hell-bent on making money despite having health issues. Hae-joon helps Jung-jae clean up and massages his shoulders to help ease his pain.

At the same time, San-ha visits Jung-hee who has woken, causing a scene after learning about her husband’s death. She cries and curses her fate, asking to be dead instead of having to deal with the loss of her partner. San-ha tries to calm her down but fails.

The doctor tells San-ha that Jung-hee has no movement in her legs and won’t be able to walk which worries him all the more. That night, San-ha’s uncle asks him to move to Seoul to look after Jung-hee and So-hee. He states that Jung-hee would benefit from having her son help him which leaves San-ha at crossroads. He tries calling Ju-won but the call does not connect.

The next morning, San-ha tries to cheer So-hee up as the two make a wish while cutting a small cake. Ju-won wakes up to a text from San-ha in which he reveals he is coming back home. She tells Hae-joon and the two find Jung-jae passed out at the noodle shop. They rush him to the hospital.

Hae-joon offers to stay with Jung-jae and asks Ju-won to go to school. Dae-wook drives Jung-jae back but the latter claims that he’ll be working at the noodle shop. Hae-joon gets upset and refuses to let Jung-jae go, despite his health. He offers to clean up the shop and returns home with some medicine for Jung-jae.

Outside, Hae-joon overhears Dae-wook scolding Jung-jae for trying to work 20 hours a day to make money to send Hae-joon to the USA. Hae-joon feels guilty for causing so much trouble and gets upset. He finds Ju-won returning from school and asks her to apply the bandage on Jung-jae’s shoulder.

Hae-joon meets Suk-hoon at the park and the two discuss Hae-joo’s situation. Suk-hoon claims that Hae-joon would benefit from going to the States as he doesn’t have any special skills to make a lot of money while living in the countryside. He asks Hae-joon to take advantage of Dong-gu so that he can graduate from the USA. Suk-hoon suggests that Hae-joon should earn well and pay Jung-jae back. This comment makes Hae-joon consider moving to the States.

He goes back home and finds Jung-jae working at the noodle shop. Hae-joon gets upset and helps Jung-jae clean up until later that night. Hae-joon tells Jung-jae that he is going to the USA with Dong-gu. He asks Jung-jae to refrain from working so hard once he is gone.

Jung-jae tries to reason with Hae-joon but the latter leaves to go back home. The next morning, Jung-jae prepares a meal for San-ha, who is returning from Seoul. Ju-won spends the day waiting for San-ha while Jung-jae makes him his favourite meal. Ju-won runs down to hug San-ha and helps him bring his bag home.

Before dinner, Jung-jae asks Ju-won to bring eggs from the shop. Hae-joon asks San-ha to go to the rooftop with him where the boys chat. Hae-joon tells San-ha that he has made up his mind about going to the USA with Dong-gu.

San-ha gets upset with Hae-joon and tells him that he needs to go to Seoul to be there for his mother. San-ha states how upset Ju-won will be when she learns that they are both going away.

The boys have an argument when San-ha claims that Hae-joon was being ungrateful to Jung-jae and was abandoning him to be with his rich father. Ju-won shows up at the rooftop as she finds Hae-joon and San-ha fighting.

The episode ends with Ju-won learning that both San-ha and Ju-won are going to leave her.


The Episode Review

This episode breaks my heart for Hae-joon, Jung-jae and San-ha because these three characters do not deserve anything of what is happening to them. As much as I wish that Hae-joon would never have to go, it is Jung-jae who has decided that the only way for him to succeed in life is by studying in the States.

It is heartbreaking as no one is asking the kids what they want but are imposing their decisions on them. From Jung-hee’s brother asking San-ha to move to Seoul to take care of her and So-hee to Dong-gu and Jung-jae deciding that Hae-joon would do better in the USA rather than a college in Seoul.

From what we can see in the preview of the next episode, the show is going to leap in time and I am excited to see Ju-won, Hae-joon, San-ha and Dal as adults. I wonder if Hae-joon and Dal would end up together because it is clear that Ju-won and San-ha are endgame.

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