AH

Hi Deeeena. Could you hide your comment under a spoiler cover so that viewers who haven't watched episode 4 yet can avoid seeing that spoiler?

Regarding your question, it's important to note that HHJ is not faking her mutism. Her mother initially forced her to fake being mute after the car crash, but then her mother was so brutal about enforcing that lie that HHJ was traumatized and developed a mental block that really does prevent her from being able to speak in most circumstances. In the drama, HHJ says to her father that she's had to "pretend" to be mute, but sometimes her trauma basically forces her to pretend against her will, and at that point it isn't really pretending anymore. However, her mutism is selective because there are occasions where the mental block doesn't prevent her from speaking. For example, when she is alone with her father in his nursing home room, she is able to speak with him. But when she is alone with her mother, the mental block prevents HHJ from being able to speak. In the novel, there are moments when HHJ tries to speak to BSE and is unable to because of her mental block.

Also, in the novel, BSE definitely watches the police car dashcam footage before HHJ's interview for the open Blue House sign language interpreter position. Which is why, in chapter 30 of the novel, he asks HHJ to speak to him directly (instead of signing and using an interpreter) during her interview. Later on BSE continues to try to figure out the specifics of when HHJ can and cannot speak.

As for when BSE watched the police car dashcam footage (and found out that HHJ could speak in certain circumstances) in the drama (which has changed the timing of certain events that occurred in the novel), I wrote a breakdown of when that scene most likely occurred in this comment: https://mydramalist.com/766179-the-number-you-have-dialed#comment-19745396

Edit: Thanks for hiding your comment with a spoiler cover! ^^

Novel spoilers ahead.

The male lead doesn’t know that HHJ is 406 yet. If the drama follows the novel, he will figure it out soon and won’t tell HHJ that he knows for a long time. But as of episode 4 he hasn’t gotten there yet. He hasn’t even confirmed that 406 is a woman yet (which happens in chapter 33 of the novel), and that happens before he begins to suspect that HHJ is 406 (in chapter 34) and before he confirms that HHJ is 406 (between chapter 36 and chapter 38).

The insta post might have been referencing the dash cam footage from the police car when HHJ had a panic attack. We saw at the end of episode 4 that BSE has now watched that footage and now knows that HHJ’s mutism is selective and that she can speak in certain circumstances. Which will make it possible for BSE to consider that HHJ might be 406 later.

Rewatching episode 1. When BSE receives the first call from the kidnapper, the kidnapper says he's going to kill BSE's wife and then BSE's phone dies. BSE plugs in his phone and immediately calls SGJ (BSE's mother). When she picks up, all he says is, "오늘그애만나봤어요?" / "Did you meet that person today?" ( 애 is informal and indicates that the person is the same age or younger than BSE). BSE expects that that is enough information for SGJ to know who he's talking about, and he's right: she immediately knows that he's talking about HHJ.

The meeting between HHJ, her mother and her mother-in-law was probably planned in advance and not an impromptu get together. Perhaps it was something they did regularly, or perhaps it was a meeting that SGJ requested specifically so that she could ask HHJ to stop working. In any case, BSE seemed to be aware that HHJ was going to meet SGJ for a meal that day. Showing that he was aware of and remembered her schedule.

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Novel spoilers ahead.

Since SGJ is basically the mastermind behind the kidnapper it makes perfect sense that she would immediately know that BSE was asking about HHJ. But she also didn't feel the need to hide the fact that she knew he was talking about HHJ, and BSE seemed to expect that she would immediately understand who he was referring to. I know SGJ probably doesn't meet up with many people that are BSE's age or younger that BSE would have any kind of connection to or interest in, but I still feel like this small moment is an interesting early indicator of the fact that BSE cares about HHJ more than he lets on. To the point where it's obvious to him and to SGJ that he could only be asking about HHJ and there was no need for SGJ to take an extra moment to confirm that he was referring to HHJ, and not someone else, before confirming that she had met up with HHJ that day as planned.

---

It's also interesting that BSE didn't try to call or text HHJ directly. He could've called SGJ next if HHJ didn't pick up or respond immediately. HHJ wouldn't be able to speak to him over the phone, but she would be able to pick up the call and make a noise (in the novel, she often taps her phone to indicate a response to a yes / no question) to confirm whether or not she was okay. Maybe a text or a noise could be faked by someone else if they stole or hacked her phone... but there were certainly questions he could ask to confirm it was really her responding. But interacting directly with HHJ while trying to deal with a threat is not BSE's style. He generally tries to avoid getting her involved in the darker aspects of his job / life. So again, this moment gives the audience an early indication of how BSE operates.

This is probably overthinking it on my part, but perhaps the Blue House has multiple sign language interpreters on staff and that lady is the manager of the interpreter team who is involved in the interview process to fill a vacancy in her team and she's looking forward to hiring someone so her team won't be short staffed anymore?

Or perhaps she is the current interpreter and is retiring, taking a leave of absence, moving abroad, or choosing to move on to a different position and is helping to interview her replacement?

Last summer new Chinese regulations meant that the drama Lost You Forever could not be aired in its entirety. So they cut off the first part of the drama at episode 39 and then the fandom had to wait, and wait, and wait to find out when the rest of the drama would air. It ended up being a one-year wait.

The waiting was awful, but thankfully that drama was based on a novel that had already been translated by fans years ago and the script for the remainder of the drama also leaked and was translated by fans. So there was a lot of content for the fans to analyze and discuss while we waited.

Luckily, in the case of WtPR, the web novel has also been translated by fans, so we can enjoy that while we wait for new episodes.

Thank goodness for amazing fans who are willing to spend their time producing translations and share them with other fans!

You're welcome! ^^

I agree that there are some similarities with Hidden Love. In both stories, the ML is several years older than the FL and first meets the FL when she is a kid and he becomes fond of her and protective of her, but he wasn't "in love" with her at that point (and it would be creepy if he was).

In Hidden Love, the ML didn't start to think of the FL in a romantic light until she was an adult and she seemed to have romantic feelings for another man who was making her miserable. Which made the ML feel both protective and jealous. And of course the other man turned out to be him.

That's pretty similar to BSE (in the novel at least) finally starting to realize the nature and extent of his feelings for HHJ after she is endangered by the kidnapper and after 406 makes him suspect that his innocent little HHJ might have had an affair or been with another man before their marriage. Which made BSE feel both protective and jealous. And of course there was no other man. The only person who got to see HHJ's garter picture was BSE.

If I remember correctly, the age gap in Hidden Love was 5 years, but the leads were a bit younger when their romance began. The female lead was still in university. In WtPR, at least in the novel, the age gap is approximately 6 years (with a caveat that I'll explain below) but their romance begins when they are older, when the female lead is 29.

***

Major novel spoilers ahead.

***

Since the male lead is not the real BSE, his age difference with HHJ might be different than the age difference between the real BSE's age and HHJ's age (a 6 year difference).

But the male lead's age does seem to be very close to the real BSE's age. So his age difference with HHJ is probably pretty close to 6 years.

Thank you, Sammy. ^^

(1) Hong In A (Hong Hui Ju's step sister who was originally engaged to BSE) tried to threaten BSE into breaking the engagement / calling off the wedding because she didn't want to marry him. Her reason for doing so has not been revealed in the drama yet.

BSE was fine with breaking off the engagement, but he found out that HHJ was also going to be put into an arranged engagement / marriage. In the drama, it's emphasized that the person she would be marrying was an awful man. To save HHJ from that fate, instead of calling off the wedding with HIA completely, he told HIA that he would marry her sister (HHJ) instead of her. This is shown in the flashback at the end of episode 2.

HIA was the first person that BSE told about his decision to marry HHJ, but I wouldn't say that he made the decision "with" her. BSE pretended that his reason for marrying HHJ was so that HHJ would be his hostage / his leverage against HIA to prevent HIA from revealing his secret. BSE and HIA are not allies.

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(2) It's complicated and the drama hasn't covered all the reasons that were addressed in the novel yet.

For starters, IMO, "loved her since childhood" is putting it a bit strongly. BSE did have a fondness for HHJ from childhood, but I don't think he was exactly "in love" with her from the time when she was nine. When they were kids, her innocent kindness and selflessness towards him and towards HIA touched him and her determination to learn sign language after the accident gave him something positive to focus on in the midst of the awful experience he had in the Baek household (that hasn't been shown in the drama yet).

When BSE returned to South Korea after his time as a war zone correspondent and saw adult HHJ for the first time, his attachment was clear (seeing her finally made him feel that he had come home) and he did appreciate her beauty and adult figure / features. But then he focused on his own agenda and nearly ended up marrying HIA.

Even when BSE married HHJ, I'm still not sure he was "in love" with her exactly. To me, it didn't seem like BSE spent the first three years of their marriage longing for a real romantic relationship with HHJ. And, in the novel at least, it's pretty clear that BSE definitely wasn't aware of the full scope of his feelings for HHJ until after the kidnapper and 406 showed up. Of course, BSE was clearly very protective of HHJ and had an attachment to her before they showed up. But once HHJ married him and was safe from that other arranged marriage, he was content to just have her be a peaceful presence in his home, like a fish tank (his own analogy, which I'll explain below).

You know that famous quote from Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice about when he first started to be in love? “I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” I feel like that describes BSE fairly well. He didn't understand his own feelings for HHJ for a long time, even after he married her. By the time he did understand his own feelings, those feelings had grown quite strong and were in the process of growing even stronger.

That said, the drama has made some changes and BSE in the drama seems to have a slightly better sense (compared to BSE in the novel) of his feelings for HHJ by the time the kidnapper appears.

The drama has also added scenes (like the phone call with her mother in episode 1 and the flashback in episode 2) to emphasize that HHJ's mother has pressured HHJ since the beginning of her marriage with BSE to get closer to BSE, to get him to like her, and to try to get pregnant with his child. BSE can obviously tell that HHJ's attempts to meet her mother's demands (making dinner for him, dancing clumsily with him, closing her eyes when she thinks he's going in for a kiss) were things that HHJ did because of her mother's pressure and not because she was acting on her own feelings. Being treated like another person's puppet and facing a mother's unreasonable demands is something that BSE can understand and empathize with. Which is why BSE tells HHJ in the drama that she doesn't have to act like a puppet in front of him, she shouldn't do everything her mother tells her to do, and she can forget about trying to force herself to have feelings for him. When he is cold towards her, he is choosing not to take advantage of the situation, he is protecting HHJ by not further fuelling her mother's attempts to use her, and he is protecting himself from being used and distracted. And when he tells HHJ that she wasn't part of his plans, he was telling the truth. He doesn't want her to get mixed up in the mess of politics and family drama that he's dealing with, and he also doesn't want her to distract him from his goals even more so than she already has.

***

MAJOR NOVEL SPOILERS AHEAD

***

BSE is not really BSE. Nor is he really candidate BEY's son. Nor is he really BJH's grandson.

Instead, the male lead is actually BJH's illegitimate son (rather than his legitimate grandson) who was raised by a fisherman (hence why he hates fish / the smell of fish). The real BSE was a psychopath and BJH killed him in front of the male lead when they were both kids. Then BJH forced the male lead to take over the identity of BSE.

When he moved into the Baek household, his life was suffocating and miserable. But his bedroom window was across from HHJ's bedroom window, and every night he used to watch through her window as little HHJ practiced sign language. As an adult, he described it as being like watching a fish tank that brought him a sense of peace and that made him feel like he could breathe. And when BSE married HHJ, he was content to have her continue to play that role. She could be just like a quiet fish tank that provided a sense of peace when he came home.

After 406 makes BSE suspect that HHJ might have had an affair, he tells Park Do Jae that he forgot that the fish tank (which he thought was his) "could move". 406's words about BSE seeming to have a jealousy complex also made BSE start to realize how much he cared about, and how possessive he felt about, HHJ.

As the novel progresses, BSE learns about sides of HHJ that he hadn't seen or appreciated before and his feelings for her grow stronger.

***

Guilt -- I had the impression that BSE unfairly placed some of the blame for the accident that killed HHJ's step brother, that took HIA's hearing, and that appeared to cause HHJ's mutism on himself. Because his real father / fake grandfather (BJH) arranged for the car crash to happen after HIA revealed that she could tell that he was not the same BSE that she had met before.

Emotional Detachment -- Due to the horrific situations he had faced, BSE became extremely emotionally detached. The novel describes him as such. He focused on surviving and on protecting HHJ. But he didn't think about romance or relationships until 406 came into his life and shook up his perspective.

Unwanted -- BSE also viewed HHJ as young, innocent, and forced into a marriage that she did not want. He didn't think she had any romantic interest in him. This is emphasized more in the drama, where they've done a lot to play up the idea that HHJ's mother puts a lot of pressure on her to try to get closer to BSE.

Horrific Truths / Danger -- Just as HHJ spent twenty years burdened by her mother's lies and her own mutism, BSE had spent decades hiding the horrifying truth behind his identity. Hiding the truth and maintaining the lie was a matter of survival. And he especially did not want HHJ to find out the truth that he had watched BJH kill the real BSE (BJH's legitimate grandson) or that he (BJH's illegitimate son) had replaced the real, murdered BSE. Both because the truth was horrific and because knowing the truth would be dangerous, given the lengths that the Baek family would go to in order to protect themselves and their positions in society even after BJH died. Acting coldly towards HHJ and keeping her at arm's length was preferable.

Weakness -- If the Baek family or his other enemies thought that he cared about protecting HHJ, let alone loved her, then there would be a risk that they would try to use those feelings against him, especially since he had so few exploitable weaknesses. This is emphasized when BSE receives the first series of phone calls from the kidnapper and he pretends that he doesn't care about HHJ.

Other Goals -- BSE did not want to become candidate BEY's pawn and did not want to be forced to join his presidential campaign. Before BSE changed his plans and married HHJ, his original plan was to amass his own power, to reveal the Baek family's corruption, and to abandon the name and identity of BSE. After marrying HHJ, he had to adjust his plans for her safety and wellbeing. But most of his original intentions still remained. He continued to amass his own power and to collect dirt on the Baek family and others. Pursuing his plans took up all of his focus and energy.

For all these reasons, IMO, BSE didn't really consider the possibility of having a real romantic relationship with HHJ and he even intentionally distanced himself from her both in public and in private. Before 406 showed up, he was satisfied with just having HHJ safe in his home, providing a calming presence like a fish tank.

To help viewers who have not watched all the episodes that have aired yet that might want to avoid spoilers, could you hide your comment under the spoiler cover please?

Edit 1: Thank you!

Edit 2: Also, I think your reasoning makes sense. And your memory and attention to detail are better than mine - I can't even recall seeing the kidnapper eating, let alone what it was that he ate!

In the novel, HHJ cries in front of 675 (this has been shown in the drama already), screams in front of 675 when she falls from a great height in chapter 35 (this hasn't been shown in the drama yet), and yells "Stop!" in front of 675 in chapter 38 (this hasn't been shown in the drama yet), so HHJ knows that 675 is aware that her mutism doesn't prevent her from speaking / making noise 100% of the time in the first half of the story, more or less.

But as for when HHJ realizes that 675 knows that she can sometimes speak in full sentences, and that she is 406, that occurs very late in the story (in chapter 61). But I’m expecting that the drama will make major changes to when and how she finds out.

In the novel, there is a pretty extended period of time when HHJ knows that 675 knows that 406 is a woman, but she thinks that 675 thinks that 406 is a different woman (i.e., that 406 is not HHJ), when 675 actually does know that 406 is HHJ.

Since 406 can speak to him and HHJ cannot, 675 intentionally pretends not to know that 406 is HHJ and continues to refer to her as 406. In that period, 406 and 675 have phone sex and discuss NSFW topics. Recordings of snippets from these conversations (but just the 675 parts) are eventually leaked to the press and 675 is accused of having an affair.

As part of the final showdown with the kidnapper, 675 makes a public announcement that includes him refuting the allegation that he had an affair / was unfaithful to his wife and stating that the woman he was speaking to in those recordings (406) is his wife. That’s when HHJ realizes that 675 knew that she was 406 and that she could speak in certain circumstances.

But at that point 675 disappears and is presumed dead. Until HHJ starts to get calls from an international number that starts with 675. Although the person on the other end of the call never speaks, HHJ suspects that person is 675 and that he is still alive, and she speaks to him when he calls. And of course in the end they reunite face-to-face and speak to each other then too.

I’m expecting that the drama will cut out the phone sex and NSFW conversations and will make other changes (e.g., to the timing of when things are revealed). They have already moved the reveal that 675 was the one who came up with the idea of marrying HHJ instead of HIA (in order to protect HHJ) from near the end of the novel to near the beginning of the drama. So I’m guessing the reveal will happen differently in the drama and possibly sooner in the story.

You're welcome!

Yes, that's an alternate term for the male lead.

More novel spoilers.

It wasn't about getting her bio son back (she doesn't need a "troublesome" bio son). It was mostly about destroying BJH's legacy as revenge for all the shame he made her feel, among some other unhinged stuff.

These are excerpts from chapter 57 and chapter 62 the way pen_p translated them in the discussion threads:

---

Chapter 57:

“Sa-eon has been dead for less than a month!”

A young woman’s shrill scream echoed through the halls.

“How could you bring an unknown child into this house, Father?”

She collapsed to the ground, crying uncontrollably. Through her tear-blurred eyes, she locked gazes with Shim Gyu-jin. Her face immediately twisted, as if she had seen something repulsive.

“I can’t. I absolutely cannot!”

Even under the weight of her father’s stern voice, she continued screaming like a madwoman.

“Father, we haven’t even found the body yet! We haven’t even held a funeral for my child!”

“And that’s why we’re dredging the river, isn’t it?”

“Even so, I can’t… not until after the funeral—”

“Do you not understand what I’m saying?”

Baek Jang-ho’s expression turned icy, his tongue clicking in irritation.

“Child, I’ve been waiting for you to calm down—” He lowered his gaze, looking at her coldly.

“Your child is nothing.”

“...!”

“But my son must live, and my grandson must inherit this family. Compared to your useless child, my grandson’s position is far more important.”

Baek Jang-ho slammed his cane onto the floor with a loud thud.

“Baek Sa-eon isn’t dead; his place is merely vacant for now.”

“…”

“And you—if you wish to remain in your position, you must act like my daughter-in-law should. There is no room for fools in my family.”

Shim Gyu-jin choked back her tears, clenching her teeth. But all she could do was lower her head.

“Unless, of course, you plan to give me another normal grandson this time?”

Shim Gyu-jin couldn’t muster a single word, her body trembling all over.

And so, the “new Baek Sa-eon” filled the vacant position.

...

“You’re always out working and ignoring the child. That’s why Sa-eon turned out like this!”

“Please, don’t say such ignorant things. How can it all be my fault? I didn’t raise the child alone, did I? What have you done?”

“What did you just say?”

“You’re not even a shadow of your father. All you do is throw money around and drink, thinking that’ll cover up your incompetence.”

“You wretched woman…!”

At night, the couple’s arguments would rage endlessly.

Baek Sa-eon walked expressionlessly through the dim corridor.

“Shim Gyu-jin, you should be honest with yourself. You hated that child. You’re probably relieved he’s dead.”

“You… What did you just say…?”

“Even if your father was strict, by the age of twelve, he had already hurt countless people and killed four. How dare you unleash such a ticking time bomb into society?”

“……”

“What’s the point of you teaching at the police academy now? Sooner or later, you’ll be branded as ‘the mother of a murderer.’”

“……”

“You’re smart. You must realize it, don’t you? Deep down, when Sa-eon died, you finally felt relieved!”

Before the words even settled, her husband’s face was slapped hard, his head snapping to the side.

“My son was perfect! He was perfect!” she screamed hysterically.

Perhaps it all started that day. The woman, unable to shake off her depression, suddenly became obsessed with the “new” Baek Sa-eon.

“My son wouldn’t eat this kind of thing.”

She interfered with and forced the boy into everything.

“My son isn’t interested in this.”

Posture, expressions, tone, preferences, interests, cherished items… Baek Sa-eon had no choices. From that moment on, his usual meals, his favorite clothes, and his familiar belongings were removed one by one.

This home became a prison where even the right to choose was stripped away. Everything had to be done in the name of “Baek Sa-eon” until he became the perfect eldest grandson, growing up under the control of every adult who had a reason to influence him.

But he knew that everything tied to this name was a façade. Sometimes, he could barely swallow his food.

---

Chapter 62:

"Until I can give my son the most magnificent funeral."

How had she managed all these years? Shim Gyu-jin endured humiliation during every ancestral rite, fueled by hatred for her father-in-law.

When Baek Jang-ho pointed at her with his pale lips and said, "That child is a monster in human skin," shame had consumed her.

His fear seemed to blame her entirely: "It’s because of you that such a monster was born."

Every time she recalled that moment, Shim Gyu-jin ground her teeth in rage. Not a single moment had been free of disgrace.

Grabbing a clueless child like catching a rat could only warp him further. A child who should have been embraced with love had instead been ruthlessly taught harsh lessons. The outcome was inevitable.

Whenever she saw the imposter boy grow up perfectly, her fists clenched until they turned white.

My son was once just as perfect…!

She hated watching Baek Sa-eon, the imposter, climb higher using her son’s name. Yet, she also hoped he would become even more famous.

Why? So that when "Baek Sa-eon" finally had his funeral, it would be mourned by everyone with true sincerity.

Her inability to hold a proper funeral for her son was the one thorn lodged in her heart.

Shim Gyu-jin wore the mask of a capable, devoted mother while quietly planning in the shadows.

In this sense, her negotiation consulting company had been an excellent cover. Regular dealings with criminals expanded her network.

But her goal never wavered: the funeral. She had been slowly and meticulously preparing for Baek Sa-eon’s funeral, intending to reclaim the name once and for all.



"Grandfather killed me…"

When her son had smiled and said those words, Shim Gyu-jin finally understood after all this time.

Ah…

The lie her father-in-law had told—that her son drowned while playing in the water—was not the greatest shock she’d suffered.

The real blow came from within herself.

When she heard the news of her son’s death, her first emotion hadn’t been sorrow—it had been relief.

As a mother, she had felt relief, and that realization was a devastating betrayal of her own soul.

She had wept ambiguous tears, gently caressing her son’s rough face.

Acknowledging herself as an unworthy mother filled her with guilt, which only deepened her hatred for others.

Gradually, she forgot her own failings and became consumed with revenge.

But in the end, she circled back to where she had started.

She tried to reassign work and train her troubled son, whose life was a chaotic mess, but he continued to create problems with violence.

Her resolve grew firmer: Baek Sa-eon’s funeral.

Her ultimate goal had never changed.



"I don’t need a troublesome biological son, nor do I need a competent imposter."

"…!"

Hee-joo’s pupils trembled violently.

"I don’t need either of them."

Shim Gyu-jin squinted as if she were gazing into the collapsed ruins of a building.

The negotiation phone falling into her daughter-in-law’s hands had been an unexpected variable.

Hee-joo’s accidental slip was also unforeseen, but she could not control her biological son’s erratic cruelty or his obsession with reclaiming the lost name.

How foolish.

He had once died at his grandfather’s hands, yet he continued to trust his family without doubt.

He naively believed he deserved the name "Baek Sa-eon."

"I’ve grown sick of being called 'Mother'."

Though the press conference had been sudden, Shim Gyu-jin had always intended to destroy the Baek Jang-ho Memorial Hall herself. Advancing the timeline slightly was no issue.

"As a crisis negotiation expert, I’ve been useful, but as Shim Gyu-jin the mother, I’ve been a sinner. But why should I bear this burden?"

Tears streamed down her face as she tightened her embrace around Hee-joo.

"A mother isn’t someone who sacrifices. A mother is someone who must recover herself, no matter what."

Her voice, though choked with emotion, sounded like that of a demon gnashing its teeth.

"Today is that day."

"…"

"Today is the day I take back my happiness. I should be laughing."

Hee-joo felt suffocated, for her own reasons.

Whose silence was more… powerful? Whose silence was darker and more profound?

More novel spoilers ahead.

As far as I can recall, we don't get to see the moment when 675 realizes that PDJ is a double agent in the novel. But it's apparent that he's figured it out by Chapter 56 and he doesn't seem to be all that upset about it. 675 cuts PDJ out of his plans at the right moment so that 675 is able to take the real BSE down without him seeing it coming.

After the showdown between 675 and the real BSE, PDJ realizes that it wasn't 675 who harmed his sister, it was the real BSE. Basically he was manipulated into working for his enemy, instead of against him. It's pretty tragic. PDJ obviously regrets his actions when he finds out the truth. He provides testimony against the culprits (mainly SGJ I think) and is sent to prison himself.

I ended up feeling badly for PDJ.

---

I can't remember any scenes with BHJ in the drama so far and I'm afraid I don't know which actor is playing the real BSE / the kidnapper.

You're welcome!

I can relate. I think the impatience would be killing me if I hadn't already read the novel. ^^

In the novel, HHJ's mutism was initially fake but quickly became real as a result of a psychological block that she developed due to her mother strictly and brutally enforcing the mutism lie. However, the psychological block is selective. There are times when HHJ can speak, such as when she is alone with her father in his nursing home room, when she uses the kidnapper's phone to call BSE and she can use the voice changer to make him believe that she is someone else, and when she has a panic attack. But there are also many occasions when HHJ wants to speak and is physically unable to get the words out due to her psychological block.

After Hong In A's disappearance, there is no longer any reason for HHJ to maintain the original lie that she is mute. When Hong In A disappeared, she thought that HHJ would stop "pretending" and "recover". But three years after Hong In A's disappearance, HHJ's psychological block remains the same as it had been for the 17 years before Hong In A's disappearance.

So far the drama seems to be following the same pattern as the novel. That is why HHJ types on her phone to speak to her mother even when they are alone.

Novel spoilers ahead...

The biggest one (which has already been hinted at in the drama) is that the male lead is not actually BSE. I'll refer to the male lead as 675. BEY (the man who is planning to run for President) is not 675's real father and BJH was not 675's grandfather.

Instead, 675 is actually BJH's illegitimate son (rather than his legitimate grandson) who was raised by a fisherman (hence why he hates fish / the smell of fish). The real BSE was a psychopath and BJH killed him in front of 675 when they were both kids. Then BJH forced 675 to take on the identity of BSE.

BJH orchestrated the car crash that caused Hong In A's deafness after Hong In A made the mistake of saying that the BSE she met at that time (i.e., 675) was not the same BSE that she had seen before.

The kidnapper was the real BSE, who survived BJH's attempt to kill him but lost his memory for several years. He was working with SGJ (the real BSE's biological mother / 675's fake mother / 675's actual sister-in-law) against 675. If I'm remembering correctly, the real BSE was sent to prison for multiple violent crimes and attempted murder. But he regained his memories and was able to get in touch with SGJ, who got him out of prison.

SGJ is a highly accomplished hostage negotiator with powerful connections / lots of connections amongst law enforcement and criminal networks, so she was the one who procured the kidnapper's phone with all of its security features. She either had advanced hacking knowledge, had the means to help the real BSE gain advanced hacking knowledge, or had the means to manipulate or hire an advanced hacker to help with their plan. She was also the one who knew that HHJ was 675's wife. Since she was 675's "mother" and HHJ's mother-in-law, she also knew when and where HHJ would be leaving the dinner between HHJ, HHJ's mother, and HHJ's mother-in-law and getting into her car where the kidnapper (the real BSE) was hiding.

SGJ and the real BSE also manipulated Park Do Jae into working for them / against 675. So PDJ was acting as a double agent from the beginning. As 675's assistant, PDJ subtly took steps to make sure that 675 took the initial call from the kidnapper (the real BSE). PDJ also helped ensure that 675's attempts to trace the kidnapper's phone number worked in SGJ and the real BSE's favour. PDJ also knew where HHJ's father's nursing home was located and where BSE was (at one of his offices, the location of which is supposed to be confidential) when he rejected 406's call and the real BSE punished him by setting off a bomb in 675's immediate vicinity. If the drama follows the novel, PDJ will continue to interfere on behalf of SGJ and the real BSE.

It isn't explained directly.

In the novel, HHJ has to call BSE at a time when she is alone and when BSE is able to take the call. So she ends up making her first call with the kidnapper's phone to him at 10:00 pm / 22:00.

In the drama, HHJ makes the first call to BSE with the kidnapper's phone from a bathroom after she is angered by BSE at the party for the British Ambassador (a party that doesn't happen in the novel). She happens to make that first call to BSE at exactly 10:00 pm / 22:00. BSE looks at his watch when the call comes in, so the timing is confirmed for the audience.

The kidnapper's phone is programmed so that it cannot receive calls and can only be used to call BSE's phone. Since BSE cannot call 406 back if he misses a call, it is helpful for the calls to be made by 406 at a pre-established time so that BSE can ensure that he is available to take the call (e.g., as he did when he told Yu Ri that he only had 3 minutes of availability in episode 4 in the evening after HHJ's interview). So 406 usually calls BSE at the same time as the first call: 10:00 pm / 22:00.

It's also worth noting that, in the beginning, HHJ tries to impose a one-day / 24-hour deadline on BSE to make a decision about whether he will meet her demands or face the consequences. So it makes sense that her next call would come in at the same time the next day. And when BSE tries to establish dominance over 406 by refusing her call and telling her to call back in 5 minutes, the kidnapper punishes BSE by detonating a bomb at BSE's office. After that, BSE knows there may be serious consequences if he doesn't make himself available to take 406's calls when they come in at the usual time.

TL;DR - Baek Sa Eon probably watched the footage (of Hong Hui Ju's panic attack in the police car) in the morning before Hong Hui Ju's interview on June 7th, and that's why he directly asked her if she really couldn't speak in her interview (as he did in the novel, where he definitely watched the dashcam footage before the interview).

But it's also possible that Baek Sa Eon watched the footage during the day on June 8th, after Hong Hui Ju's interview but before the party, and this possibility seems to be supported by his outfits.

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June 6th - Panic Attack Day

Hong Hui Ju had her panic attack on June 6th. Afterwards, Baek Sa Eon collected her from the police and took her to a hotel to meet his parents for dinner. He got a room at the hotel so that Hong Hui Ju could rest before meeting her in-laws. In that room, Baek Sa Eon told Hong Hui Ju that if she was a victim of the kidnapper's harassment, the police would start to look into her, so she should come clean to him about anything that she was hiding. From her reaction, Baek Sa Eon realized she *was* hiding something but decided not to force her to tell him what that something was.

After leaving the dinner, Baek Sa Eon drove Hong Hui Ju home. Hong Hui Ju went into their home first while Baek Sa Eon stayed in the car so he could take a call from Park Do Jae, who was at a police station. Baek Sa Eon ended the call with a request for Park Do Jae to look into finding a new nursing home for Hong Hui Ju's father.

Inside their home, Hong Hui Ju's colleagues wished her good luck with tomorrow's interview, and Baek Sa Eon echoed the sentiment.

The last scene we saw from the evening of June 6th was Baek Sa Eon texting Park Do Jae about moving Hong Hui Ju's father to the different nursing home that Park Do Jae found, per Baek Sa Eon's earlier request. Notably, we see a picture of what the nursing home building looks like.

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June 7th - Interview Day

The next day we find out that Baek Sa Eon was unusually late for work because he had important matters to take care of. We know that one of these matters was visiting Hong Hui Ju's father in his new nursing home.

Later that day, the interview takes place. In the interview, Baek Sa Eon asks Hong Hui Ju point-blank if she really can't speak at all.

After the interview, Hong Hui Ju visits her father, who has been moved to the new nursing home. During the visit, her father parroted words that were clearly said to him by Baek Sa Eon when he visited earlier that day ("Don't worry, father. No matter what happens, I'll protect you and Hui Ju.").

At 9:57 pm, Baek Sa Eon calls Na Yu Ri while driving home and asks her about Ji Sang U. At 10:00 pm, he takes a call from 406.

After arriving home, Baek Sa Eon told Hong Hui Ju she did well in the interview and that he would be attending the Chungwoo Daily News Anniversary Event the next day.

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June 8th - Party Day

Before the party, we don't see what Hong Hui Ju or Baek Sa Eon did during the day on the 8th. We just see them arriving late to the party, separately. Baek Sa Eon may have intentionally arrived late because he wanted to avoid being associated with his father and his father's presidential election campaign or giving the impression that he intends to leave his position as the current president's spokesman in order to officially support his father's campaign. Or it might just have been that he had other things to do.

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Outfits

On the 6th, Baek Sa Eon wore an outfit that included a solid black tie.

By the time he got to the office on the 7th, Baek Sa Eon was wearing an outfit that included a dark tie with a thin white line. He wore that outfit for the rest of the day.

By the time he got to the party on the 8th, Baek Sa Eon wore a party-appropriate outfit that included a black bow tie.

At the police station and when he watched the panic attack video in his car after leaving the police station (on the 7th before arriving at the office or sometime during the day on the 8th), Baek Sa Eon wore an outfit that included a dark tie with a thick white line.

It's possible that Baek Sa Eon wore one outfit early in the morning when he went to the police station and then changed into a different outfit before heading to the office on the 7th. But logically it would seem more likely that this was the outfit that he wore during the day on the 8th (before changing into his party attire) than that it was the first of two office-appropriate outfits that he wore on the 7th.

When Baek Sa Eon watched the video in the novel, he spilled coffee on the sleeve of his shirt. Although he did not change his shirt in the novel (so Hong Hui Ju could smell the coffee from his shirt when he came home the next morning after watching the dashcam footage over and over again all night), it's possible that the drama will show us more of how Baek Sa Eon behaved immediately after he watched the video and will somehow incorporate the spilled coffee detail (or something similar) but have Baek Sa Eon change his shirt and his entire outfit. If that's the case, it would provide an explanation for why Baek Sa Eon would change outfits between leaving the police station and arriving at his office, if he watched the dashcam footage on the 7th.

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Sequence of Events in the Novel

In the novel, the scene where Baek Sa Eon sees Hong Hui Ju holding a phone to her ear on the roof of the building (where the newspaper's anniversary party is taking place) occurs in chapter 28. Then Baek Sa Eon requests the police car dash cam footage and watches the recording of Hong Hui Ju's panic attack in chapter 29. Then the interview occurs in chapter 30. So the drama has changed up the sequence of events from the novel, with the interview occurring before the party in the drama.

Yes the drama has moved several things up. It will be interesting to see how they use the remaining 8 episodes.