The Heirs aka The Inheritors recap - Episode 16

Chairman Kim shows ES two airplane tickets. One ticket is for her to leave Tan right now and go where ever she wants. The other ticket will give her 2 weeks to see Tan as much as she wants. But at the end of the 2 weeks, Dad will send her where he wants. And it definitely won’t be anywhere in Korea. It will definitely be different from the U.S. and France. She can pick which ever ticket, but only one ticket will let her go up the stairs to Tan’s room.

While grocery shopping, ES’s mom is getting text messages from people she borrowed money from, thanking her for paying them back.

Back at the house, ES’s mom asks KA, “Did you give me the severance pay already?” This surprises KA- she doesn’t want ES’s mom to quit yet. She interviewed a few people today, but no one was good enough. KA gets all jealous thinking ES’s mom has already found another lady to serve. Like mother, like son. Ha! It wasn’t KA who paid back ES’s mom’s debts.

ES’s mom asks ES now- has she heard anything from the chairman. It seems he is the one that paid their debt off. ES’s mom shows ES the text messages, and ES seethes. ES’s mom becomes worried and asks ES if this has something do with Tan. ES prepares her mom for the difficult thing she has to say. We don’t hear what ES told her mom.

Getting new orders, the guards let ES go up the stairs to Tan’s room.

Tan is up in his room, listening to the news about him and remembering what Won said to him earlier. He suddenly hears a knock on the door. Tan opens the door and is surprised to see ES. He starts to ask her how she came up here, but ES quiets him. She smiles brightly and asks if she can go inside. Tan quickly pulls her in. ES lies that the guards left their positions for just a moments, and she used the opportunity because she missed him. Tan pulls her into a hug. ES repeats that she missed him a lot, and that is why she came up here.

ES apologizes to Tan, saying it seems like it is her fault he is locked up here.Tan explains it is not. He came back to this house to no longer be locked up- “Because the way to be with you is not being locked up together.” Tan continues, “Instead, you have to believe me no matter what choice I make.” He cups her face- “I only have you left now.”

Worried, ES asks what is happening to him. Tan replies, “I’m liking you.” Emotions overflowing, ES embraces Tan tightly, and Tan holds her right back. ES cries in his arms.

Won is telling Yoon what Tan said. Yoon asks if Won has no desire to understand Tan. Won explains he has seen his grandfather, uncles, and aunts fight with each other; why try  to understand when the fight is inevitable between him and Tan. Yoon explains that is why Chairman Kim is dividing the shares equally. Won retorts that the shares shouldn’t be divided equally since the skill level is different (between him and Tan).

Won asks if Yoon is considering his offer of the vice presidency of Jeguk Construction. Yoon says he will give his answer soon.

Next morning, Tan is in his room looking at the security monitor, waiting for ES. ES comes out the house, and it seems like she is just going to leave, but she turns back and writes a note for Tan to see- “I was happy to see you in my dreams too.” Out loud she says, “Because I think you’ll be watching.” She waves goodbye with a bright smile.

ES notices reporters in front of school. One of them asks her if she knows if Tan is coming to school. Before ES can answer, YD and MS come to save the day, especially with MS being his usual fabulous diva self.

Inside, ES finds her locker a mess. Someone has thrown milk inside and written all over it. YD sees this too and it upsets him, but to her face, he keeps joking around. He calls for a delivery of drinks (green tea latte cartons that Park Shin Hye endorses. Hehe. PPL.)

YD is about to throw the drink at all the lockers when ES stops him- what is he doing??? YD explains he is getting revenge for her. He figures the culprit has to be the owner one of the lockers he will ruin. ES asks, “What wrong did the others commit?” YD asks right back, “What wrong did you commit?” ES smiles. “I think I know you a bit now, Choi Young Do.” She thanks him for the thought, though, but she can’t let him waste food that way. Young Do notes, “You smile when your heart is grateful.” ES replies, “Now you know me a bit too.”

ES gives CY and BN the milk, saying YD bought it. BN wonders if YD poisoned it. ES gives BN CY’s childhood photo. She also tells them never to break up. ES apologizes to BN first before hugging CY, and the she also hugs BN. They wonder why she is like this all of a sudden. ES replies it’s just because. But we all know ES is saying goodbye one by one. Sobs.

Yoon has come to teach Tan. Yoon asks what Tan does in his room all day. Tan says he thinks bad things- 소things that will ruin all relationships.

Yoon informs Tan about Dad’s plans to send ES abroad. “I know Chairman Kim better than you, and he is more merciless as a head of Jeguk and as a father than you can imagine.”

Tan goes to see his dad, no fear in his eyes. He enters the room, says he will use the cellphone, and even though Dad tries to forbid him, Tan ignores him and calls JS for her help so he can go to school.

Dad asks if Tan is going to school just to see ES, even enlisting JS’s help. Tan replies without any hesitation, yes. And JS is helping him thanks to the stocks that dad gave him. Tan also says he has a favor to ask of dad- to never touch ES. Dad asks if Tan is threatening him. Tan replies that Dad gave him a sword that will back up this threat. “If you touch ES again, I don’t know whom I will slay with this sword.”

Inside the car, the tension is high and tight even as JS and Tan talk to each other in low, calm voices. JS warns Tan that he will have to pay her back for today, and by then, it would be to late to regret it. Tan snaps back that JS must have experienced that regret for treating him and his mother like that after she received the call from Tan today.

JS reminds Tan that they have to be appear affection in front of the reporters. Tan replies he knows. Now at school, Tan and JS put on a show for the reporters, looking happy and comfortable with each other. They have a peanut gallery looking at them and commenting, consisting of MS, BN, CY, and YS.

First thing Tan does is walk into class, packs ES’s bag and takes her out of school. They go the MS’s studio. Tan digs through ES’s stuff. He finds the plane ticket inside the pages of her book. It’s one way to Buenos Aires.

Angry, Tan asks ES, “Do you even like me? Do you even believe in me?” When ES just asks for the ticket back, he growls, “Do you want to die,” before he rips up the ticket. He is angry that ES didn’t tell him about getting this ticket. Did she come up to his room after accepting the ticket? The ticket means she can’t come back to Korea, nor can she even think about coming back. How can she smile after getting that ticket and coming up to him. “Did you smile?”

Tearfully, ES replies, “Then what was I supposed to do? I was so scared. If I leave immediately, I can’t see you. What could I do except make that choice?” Tan yells that is why she should have told him, so that he can fight dad, not her. “I lost everything. I only have you now. I can’t lose you too. Please, don’t hurt where I am not. If you do that, I will really go crazy.” Tears overflowing, ES nods her head yes.

Tan wipes her tears gently. “I’m sorry I only make you cry. I’m sorry.”

YD comes in then. He notices that ES is crying. Tan asks YD to hold ES for him, take her to school and bring her back here to the studio after. He will come back for her around eight. YD calls him crazy, since he is basically leave a sheep with a wolf. Tan says he has no time to argue, and leaves.

Alone now, YD asks ES why she is crying. She doesn’t answer so YD asks her when she will repay the debt she owes him. ES says after school, they should go eat the noodles.

Reporters take picture of Tan, Won, JS, and Dad coming together to each dinner. The most awkward dinner ever consisting of people who can’t stand to be around each other right now. See evidence below.

Dad asks JS how Won’s wife hunt is going. This surprises Won. JS replies that all she needs to do is set up a date for the girl and Won to meet. Won says he will look for one himself when time comes, but Dad keeps pushing it. And Won is powerless to say anything back.

Dad also announces that he he will call together a stockholders meeting in two weeks to put Won’s presidency position on the table. He announces the candidate for Won’s position as Yoon. Won can’t believe that even after he replaced all of Dad’s people, this call for the meeting went through. Dad is still wielding too much power, making Won look like only a puppet president. Dad reminds him that this company isn’t his anyway. He will choose between Tan and Won for the best person to run the company. He only put Won there as president because he needed someone in a hurry. Dad and JS leave.

Tan gets up to leave too, but Won tries to stop him. Unfortunately, Tan won’t listen anymore. He points out that Won doesn’t have time to be doing this right now; he’s going to have to meet a lot of people (to win over to his side), and the last person he will need to see is Tan. Tan: “Just do what you’ve always been doing. I was always last for you anyway.”

Won is angry at Yoon, wondering if Yoon was laughing at him behind his back when he offered the vice-president job, while dad offered the president. Yoon tells Won to beat dad, to protect his position. Then he will come to work as vice-president.

Tan is back at the studio to pick up ES, but no one is there. He calls ES, but YD picks up. He hangs up without telling Tan where they are- his answer when Tan asked was “In your heart?” Pfft!

Before ES can get mad that he and Tan keep picking up her calls, YD tries to get it out of her exactly why she cried. He guesses that Chairman Kim made ES kneel first in order to make Tan kneel. ES tries to deny it, but YD doesn’t believe her.

ES tries to switch the subject by asking why he ordered ddukkbokki instead of noodles. YD: “We have to eat noodles next time so I can see you again.” As always, a little embarrassed after he says these kinds of things, he tries to pass it off by playing it light. He tells her to write a memorandum that she will eat noodles with him. She easily agrees, which makes YD even more suspicious that something is up. He asks once again why she cried, and once again she won’t answer.

YD replies that he will let this pass today. He then asks if she has his number memorized. No? Then memorize his ( and Tan’s number) so she can call him when something happens. It would be better, though, if she also called just because.

ES says she wants to leave now since her mom will be worried, and YD lets her go since this will make Tan even more angry when he gets here. He sends her home in his car. Then he sits alone, with ES’s empty chair in front of him.

Tan comes, and he isn’t surprised that ES is not there. He figured she would leave, and YD would let her go. So YD asks Tan why he came, then. Tan thanks YD for coming to his house that day and also helping him escape. YD, uncomfortable any time someone is sincere to him, jokes around, wondering if Tan has another secret, like he is actually a girl. Tan smiles, and gets up. “Let’s go.”

YD calls out to Tan, “Just surrender.” It seems his dad already got to ES.  Tan replies he knows already so  YD should mind his own business. He once again says to YD, “Let’s go,” but YD just tells Tan to go first. Tan: “Get up. Don’t sit here alone.”

Back at the Kim house, KA is drinking her sorrows away on the floor. Dad is yelling at her when Tan comes in. She explains to Tan she was drinking to congratulate him becoming a major stockholder since she can’t go with him to that meeting where he will go officially appear as a major player in the company. Dad insults KA, saying she is embarrassing, a defect in Tan’s life. She retorts, “Did I make Tan myself?” Tan tells Dad to never yell at mom again. Dad is the one who made the roof of the house his mom’s sky. He won’t hold back anymore if Dad becomes more cowardly as a husband and father.

Dad rises to the challenge- what will he do if he doesn’t hold back? Tan tells Dad to not be curious about that. Because even he doesn’t know what he will do these days. He warns dad to not make him think about which enemy of his dad he will hold hands with.

ES has listened to all this crouched scared in the kitchen.

Won is knocking on HJ’s door late at night, wanting her to come out. HJ reluctantly does. Won tells her to go to the U.S. for three years. Then he will go bring her back. HJ asks why Won is telling her what to do with her life, and Won replies he is doing this so he can be part of her life. HJ yells that they can never be together, but Won begs her to listen to him; he doesn’t want her to see him reach rock bottom. He doesn’t want her to know how worthless the things he held onto while losing her. HJ, knowing that something is up, promises she won’t see. Won pulls her into a desperate hug.

ES gets a message from Tan asking where she is. She tells him she is at home, ready to sleep. Tan texts her to come out with her passport. When she does, he takes the passport from her. He also takes her to the closet, yelling at her for not being there at the studio when he said he will come get her. He wants her to listen to him, please- wait when he asks her to wait, not leave when he asks her not to leave. Before ES can finish nodding yes, Tan suddenly kisses her. At first, Tan’s kiss is desperate while Eun Sang is resistant, but they soon fall into the kiss. Tan then hugs Eun Sang, asking her to not go anywhere- “Promise me.” Eun Sang doesn’t say anything. She simply just hugs him tighter. And so does Tan. They cling onto each other with all their might in the darkness.

Next day, Tan is waiting for ES outside the house to go to school together. ES looks worried so Tan explains Dad is probably already watching, but it’s okay.

At school, R gives her report about The Great Gatsby. She jabs at ES and Tan with this report, saying that Gatsy ruins his life after falling in love with Daisy.

In the hallway, R hears girls talking about her kiss with HS. Of course the fates throw HS in her path. He’s walking down the hallway in her direction so she quickly calls him, asking him to avoid her for a while. He first jokes around with her but things get awkward when they actually do get closer to each other. Seems R is not avoided HS because of the gossip, but because she feels embarrassed around HS. Hehehe, is this the start of L.O.V.E.?

Won meets with Esther, YD’s dad, and JS, wanting them to side with him at the stockholders’ meeting. They agree. He also meets with Tan. He wants Tan to be on his side. Tan doesn’t like they way Won is not asking him but demanding it, but he will vote for Won because dad is bothering a girl he likes. He asks Won for an apartment for that girl. Won asks if it is the girl living in the maid’s room, and Tan replies yes. Won scoffs, wondering how Tan can vote for Won just because of some girl. Tan replies yes, he is planning to do anything for “some” girl. “But don’t call her ‘some’ girl. Because that girl is my everything now.”

At MS’s studio, YD is lying silently on the sofa, just looking at the band-aid that ES gave him before. MS invites YD to lunch, pointing out that YD has gotten a little thin. Dearie is worried about his friend! YD says no, claiming he has previously engagement. With who and where is certain, but the when is not. As YD leaves, MS yells at him to not go to ES’s house.

Yup, that is where YD is. He paces back and forth, waiting for ES, having set no actual date. She doesn’t return home, so YD finally leaves, only to see her at the convenience store. She sitting outside alone at the tables again.

YD takes off his jacket and puts it on her. He tells her to stop sleeping out in the open since the weather has gotten cold. ES learns that YD has seen her do this three times. The first time was the day when she was sleeping on the table and little kids came around yelling. He got into a fight with them trying to protect ES, but ES just left without even looking back. ES smiles and apologizes. YD: “Forget it. I normally like being the only one knowing.”

ES says YD is a bad guy and also a good guy. She wishes she knew that earlier. YD says it’s not too late, but ES turns him down again, saying she just wants him to just let her pass him by. She instructs him to be nice to the next girl he likes- not trip her to hold her hand, not threaten her to eat together. ES takes off YD’s jacket. “It was only for a moment, but I was warm because of you. Thank you.”

ES gets up to leave, but YD pulls her back down, pleading desperately, “Don’t go.” ES claims she has a date with Tan, but YD knows that Tan is at the stockholders’ meeting. ES continues to lie that she is going to see Tan just for a bit before he goes to the meeting, but YD sees through her. He explains he has done a lot of parting and running away, and the look on her face doesn’t look like a face that is going to see someone; it’s a face that is going to lose someone.

YD asks her what is it. Did she get kicked out of Tan’s house? Is she moving? Ah,Young Do, so close and yet so far!!!! ES smiles, saying she is going to move soon; she’s been looking for a place these days. ES leaves, and YD can’t hold her back. The snow continues to fall as ES walks away, becoming just a girl who passed by him.

Won gives Tan the key to the apartment, and keeps reminding Tan how to vote today. Tan is not even surprised now: “You still don’t believe me.”

Won warns Tan to not put his guard down. Dad will find ES. Tan says he knows that, but he is doing this to show him. “During the past 18 years, I loved you and dad a lot. But that love has ended now. And the only thing left for me is that child.”

Tan faces Won: “So I am not going to care who I am, what my birth is, and how old I am. I will use my everything to protect her. It’s a warning to never touch her.”

ES is window-shopping, and YD is following her around secretly in his car. ES sees a couple buying sneakers together. She also remembers what Tan’s dad said to her that because of her Tan has lost Rachel and his family, and has become the laughing stock of the world. “How far will you ruin Tan?”

YD is still watching her when Tan shows up to back hug ES. Tan and ES look so happy together, but YD is expressionless. He quietly drives away.

ES and Tan have bought couple shoes. And they sit in the café smiling and happy together.

Tan shows ES the apartment, and tells her it’s hers. ES asks if the chairman knows. Tan says he will soon, but he will make sure Dad doesn’t touch her. ES asks if this is Tan’s way of helping ES walk over all thresholds. Tan says this is a start. “I’m sorry it’s clumsy, it’s this way, and it’s one-sided. I’ll become better. I will try hard for a way that will be closer to what you can understand.”

ES notices the dream catcher hanging in the window, and she starts to tear up. Tan asks her when she will move in, and she says tomorrow. She tells him to go the meeting; she will stay a bit longer to take pictures to show her mom.

Eun Sang sees Tan to the door. They wave to each other goodbye so Tan comments that they seem like a married couple acting like this. ES says, “You’re the one who said we look like a married couple,” and she gives him a peck on the cheek.

This is a pleasant surprise for Tan. They wave each other goodbye again, and Tan leaves with a smile on his face. Behind the closed door, Eun Sang breaks down sobbing.

At the meeting, voting starts for whether Won will be fired or not. The results are: 3% yay, 95% nay, 2% abstain. So Won is not going to get fired. But the results are strange; one would have expected there to be more of a battle. Turns out Dad was playing Won and Tan just to teach them a little lesson of humiliation. Won through having to basically grovel at other people’s feet, to show his desperation to them in order to keep his position. For Tan, showing exactly how young and powerless he is. ES left Korea an hour ago.

KA reads the letter from ES’s mom apologizing for leaving. KA cries. Tan runs in. He finds ES’s room empty. He goes to her café- she quit. He searches the school and her locker, but it is empty. Tan slams the door shut, the tears starting to rise. Tan looks for ES everywhere, but one one knows where she is, and she is nowhere to be found.

Tan ends up back at the empty apartment, the last place he saw Eun Sang, smiling back at him. He remembers what Dad said to him after the meeting- “Don’t forget this day. You lost that child today as the consequence of the sword you wielded.” Tears start to fall silently out of Tan’s eyes first, but as the sobs rise in his chest, Tan pants for breath and he falls on his knees. He clutches his chest as he cries.

recapped by/ credits to : www.joonni.com