This recap is dedicated to Scheduler. Thank you for throwing the most LOL-worthy temper tantrum/hissy fit I’ve seen on a grown man in any K-drama. That, my good man-boy-spirit-thing, inspired me to recap this dang episode just for you! Scheduler is like a marshmallow wrapped in the body of a rocker dipped in the sauce of a diva.

Also, some stuff happened in this episode that actually was not a redux of the same stuff which happened before, and pushed almost every single character forward. If 49 Days takes off for the rest of its run, this would be the episode I name as the turning point. While the episode as a whole was merely good, I was more entertained and engrossed than any previous episode, which merits a nice high-five from me.

Episode 9 Recap:

Kang tells Ji Kyung that if she likes Min Ho, then he’ll let her stay and never bother her again. But if she doesn’t like Min Ho, then she needs to stop working here. Before she can answer, he grabs her bag and drags her out of there. Outside the building, she stops him and tells him that her hand hurts. He realizes that she hurt her hand while she was working there.

He tells her that he really can’t let her work at the apartment of his friend’s fiancée, and asks again whether she has to keep working there. Ji Kyung realizes that Kang appears to really care for her, and probably has an inkling that he likes her, and she shakes her head no. Kang is relieved and grabs her non-injured hand and takes her away.

They drive back to the restaurant in silence, each taking turns peeking at the other. Ji Kyung is genuinely happy to be back at the restaurant, and Kang tells her to not be lazy, but reminds the manager to not have her wash dishes for now. Kang is happy to have her back, and asks the manager why he’s like this around her? Is he looking for reminders of Ji Hyun from Ji Kyung? The manager tells him to let time reveal everything.

Min Ho comes back to the apartment to find it empty. He wonders if anything happened, and he’s planning to call Ji Kyung when he gets a call from In Jung. They discuss how Ji Hyun’s father is planning to come to the company to review documents. Min Ho goes to the restaurant to ask Kang for Ji Kyung’s home address, explaining that she just disappeared. Kang tells him to check his texts, and Min Ho sees a text from Kang explaining that he took Ji Kyung away.

Min Ho sees Ji Kyung working, and tries to go speak with her, but is restrained by Kang. Min Ho asks why he took her away. Kang says that Min Ho met Ji Kyung through Kang, so Kang feels a sense of responsibility to Ji Hyun. Kang reminds Min Ho that he is Ji Hyun’s fiancée, and Min Ho tells him that he’s not anymore. He won’t be with someone who cannot pursue a future with him.

Kang tells him that Ji Hyun had an accident just not that long ago, but Min Ho wonders how long he needs to wait. While Kang thinks that love should be about loyalty, Min Ho is much more pragmatic and sees love as in the here and now. Min Ho doesn’t care if Kang judges him, but he doesn’t need Kang to be Ji Hyun’s guardian right now. Min Ho again explains that he is not interested in Ji Kyung, and that he just wanted to help her when Kang fired her.

In Jung and Seo Woo arrive just then with cake to celebrate Kang’s birthday. Min Ho and Kang go upstairs and the friends open a bottle of wine and celebrate. Kang’s not terribly comfortable to be the center of attention. Ji Kyung hides behind a pillar and sings happy birthday to Kang as well. When Kang is asked if he had seaweed soup, he’s told that someone made it for him.

Ji Kyung walks up to the table and hands In Jung her thermos bottle back (the one she brought to Min Ho’s apartment). Seo Woo recognizes it, and In Jung drags Ji Kyung outside before she can say any more. Seo Woo reveals to Min Ho and Kang that In Jung is in love and has been keeping it a secret. In Jung asks Ji Kyung to keep her visit to Min Ho’s apartment a secret.

Ji Kyung tells In Jung that she won’t reveal to anyone that In Jung is secretly Min Ho’s girlfriend, while In Jung keeps trying to explain otherwise. I love how Ji Kyung’s finally getting the upper hand when dealing with her backstabbing friend. Kang comes outside and calls In Jung back to eat. Ji Kyung makes a “zip my mouth” gesture that indicates she’ll keep their conversation a secret, and both Kang and In Jung immediately flash back to Ji Hyun making the same gesture. Kang tells Ji Kyung to go home, which is when she gets a call that a couple of Ji Hyun’s friends are meeting in a few days.

Back at home, Seo Woo asks In Jung if perhaps Ji Kyung knows the man that In Jung is secretly dating. In Jung refuses to elaborate further, and Seo Woo wonders if In Jung is dating a married man. In Jung gets called back out to meet with Min Ho at a park near her apartment. She wonders why he’s taking chances. In Jung wishes she can tell Kang and Seo Woo, that they can date like ordinary people.

In Jung says that even if the whole world knows, it’s already too late. Ji Hyun’s father can’t stop the impending company bankruptcy, nor can he take back the island property from Min Ho. In Jung confesses that she told Kang about Ji Kyung working for Min Ho, because she can’t stand for her to be around Min Ho a minute longer. She doesn’t want to pretend to be his secretary in front of Ji Kyung. Min Ho apologizes for putting her through this. Seo Woo is hiding behind a tree and sees this secret meeting.

Ji Hyun talks to Yi Kyung, telling her that she felt safe when Kang dragged her out of the apartment. She doesn’t want to spend more time with Min Ho, especially since she has found the safe, and now only needs the combination to open it. She’s happy that her friends called and have scheduled a getogether soon. She wants to keep helping Yi Kyung, even if Scheduler won’t help her.

Min Ho thinks back to the news about Ji Hyun’s dad’s medical condition, which is terminal if he doesn’t get medical treatment soon. Min Ho is clearly bothered by this latest twist. Ji Hyun’s mother doesn’t want her husband to name Min Ho as a successor of the company without having him married into the family first. She asks her husband if he’s not feeling well? He lies that he’s just having indigestion from a lack of proper diet.

Min Ho goes to see Ji Hyun’s father at the hospital, and asks him to please have the surgery. Min Ho says that refusing the surgery does Ji Hyun no good, but Ji Hyun’s dad doesn’t want to die on the operating table before he has a chance to see Ji Hyun regain consciousness. Min Ho reminds him that he can die before her right now. Ji Hyun’s dad says that the surgery only has a 30% chance of success. Min Ho reminds him that he needs to believe in the surgery being successful. Ji Hyun’s father tells Min Ho that he is grateful for having Min Ho supporting him right now

Ji Kyung is walking and sees Kang unexpectedly. She happily calls out to him, but using banmal she says “Han Kang” and later corrects herself. Kang is surprised and asks her to call his full name again, and she does so. He looks perplexed, and asks where she went to high school. She lies and says that she went to a high school in the countryside. Kang asks her how she knew it was his birthday and brought over seaweed soup. Ji Kyung says Min Ho asked her to.

Kang confesses that she reminds him a lot of his friend. He tells her that he owes this friend a lot, and Ji Kyung stops to consider this revelation. Min Ho and Ji Hyun’s father attend a business meeting. In Jung is writing a resignation letter on her office computer. The lawyer arrives and hands her a packet to give to Ji Hyun’s father. In Jung opens the packet to see that it contains Ji Hyun’s father’s will, which names Min Ho as his sole successor and gives him all his shares in the company.

Ji Kyung meets Ji Hyun’s friends at a restaurant. The friends are sitting around a table already, and everyone looks mopey and depressed. The friends had just heard that Ji Hyun had an accident, but only now realize that she is in a coma state. They start crying about how sad it is, especially with her about to get married. Ji Kyung takes out her camera and asks to record it.

The friends are all crying, but nothing is happening to the sleeping Ji Hyun. Ji Kyung looks at her necklace and realizes that she doesn’t have a single drop of pure tears in it. She remembers Scheduler’s words that tears are not always pure and depends on the reason for the tears. She looks at her crying friends and wonders why they are crying. Turns out the friends all have other reasons rather than genuine sadness.

Ji Kyung asks what kind of person Ji Hyun was? She finds out that Ji Hyun was so damn kind and generous, it was actually kind of annoying. She was also rather oblivious to the things going on around her. Ji Kyung leaves, crying to herself as she walks away, likely realizing how impossible her task is of finding three friends to cry genuine tears for her.

Ji Hyun’s mom asks Seo Woo to find out from In Jung whether something is going on with Ji Hyun’s father, who she suspects is purposely keeping something from her. Ji Kyung stumbles back to the restaurant, and takes out her address book and crosses off a few more names. Kang walks out and sees her slumped over outside, asking if anything is wrong? She denies it, but before they can discuss anything further, Seo Woo runs up and informs Kang that Ji Hyun’s father is about to name Min Ho as the successor to the company.

Ji Kyung yells out a no and then runs off. She sees Scheduler, and tells him about the succession plans. Scheduler says that it’s Ji Hyun’s father’s decision whom to trust. She asks Scheduler for help, but he refuses to meddle in human affairs, especially since it will land him in trouble. He sees how upset Ji Kyung is, and gives her one option. If she touches something just once, she will lose one day off the allotted 49 days time. She happily takes that chance.

The manager wife and the other waitress can see Ji Kyung talking to herself, and they wonder what is wrong with her. Ji Kyung hails a cab and heads off. Kang talks with the manager and wonders what’s going on today with Ji Kyung? He hears from the two ladies that Ji Kyung appeared to be talking and gesturing to herself on the street. Kang finds out where Ji Kyung told the cab to take her (back to Yi Kyung’s neighborhood).

Ji Kyung grabs a newspaper from a convenience store, and then hands a package to the owner of the coffee shop where Yi Kyung works, saying that a customer asked that it be delivered. Ji Hyun’s father is in the process of signing the will in the presence of a witness. Ji Hyun follows the messenger delivering her package to her dad’s office, and In Jung accepts the package.

Ji Hyun follows In Jung into the office as she delivers the package. Inside the package is a newspaper, and her father initially thinks that it’s just a joke. But he read a news article about how a woman in the US awoke from a coma after 20 years. Ji Hyun’s father is about to reach for his seal when Ji Hyun uses her one chance to touch something to knock the seal away.

Everyone looks in shock, but her dad picks up the seal and is about to stamp it on the will when suddenly his picture of Ji Hyun on his desk gets knocked off. Of course its super softie Scheduler doing his bit to help Ji Hyun, and Ji Hyun’s dad finally gets all the spectral hints and calls off the will signing, saying that he can’t bear to accept that he’s giving up on his daughter.

Scheduler and Ji Hyun walk out of the office, and an old biker granny on her Harley rides up to them and parks in front of the suddenly freaked out Scheduler. Granny gets off her bike and walks up to Scheduler, who calls her sunbae, as she wacks him on the head. She then puts him in a head lock and keeps hitting his head. Ji Hyun tries to stop her, but Scheduler tells her to just go home.

Granny grabs Scheduler by the neck and whisks him away, and then proceeds to lecture him like an errant school boy about not butting into human affairs. Scheduler says he couldn’t help himself and had to help her, and granny asks if Scheduler is in love with her? He quickly denies it, and asks for forgiveness. She hands down his punishment, one extra week on the job.

Scheduler gets down to beg, and then throws a temper tantrum, saying that he is almost done with his 5 year term and is just counting down the minutes until it’s all over. Granny refuses to rescind the punishment, and leaves Scheduler stomping his feet in frustration.

Min Ho comes to see Kang at the restaurant, but Kang brushes him off and says that he has somewhere to go tonight. Min Ho asks the waiter if Ji Kyung has left work already. Kang heads to Ji Kyung’s apartment, arriving just as Ji Hyun’s spirit is also returning. Yi Kyung wakes up, and notices that her front door is open. She closes it just as Ji Hyun sneaks in through the crack. Ji Hyun realizes that Yi Kyung woke up earlier than usual.

Yi Kyung grabs Dr. Noh’s card and runs outside. She heads to the convenience store to call him, and she and Kang just miss each other by scant inches. Kang goes to Yi Kyung’s apartment and finds it dark, empty, and locked. Yi Kyung is meeting with Dr. Noh as her coffee shop work place, and she confesses that strange things have been happening to her recently. She wonders if perhaps she is losing her mind?

Dr. Noh asks how long this has been going on? When she’s tired lately? He thinks maybe she is sleepwalking. He tells her to go get checked out. Kang is sitting at home, thinking his usual confused thoughts of Ji Kyung. The next day, he heads out with a bouquet of pink roses, and goes to visit Ji Hyun. Ji Hyun’s dad gives him a talking to about dropping the design project for the island resort. He calls Kang irresponsible, and tells him not to come anymore.

Ji Kyung heads to work and finds the restaurant closed for the day. She goes inside, and decides to play on the piano since no one is around. Kang comes back to the restaurant and hears Ji Kyung playing and singing a song, which is the same song that he’s heard Ji Hyun play and sing before, in the exact same way.

Back in high school, Ji Hyun had played the song in an empty auditorium, where Kang had been taking a nap on the seats. High school Kang sits up and listens to Ji Hyun singing, mesmerized. Adult Kang now listens to Ji Kyung singing, and his mind sees Ji Hyun’s image superimposed onto Ji Kyung.

Kang walks up to her, and asks “who are you?” He follows up with a second question – “are you Ji Hyun?” Ji Kyung looks shocked, and the two of them stare at each other.

Thoughts of Mine:

I haven’t got any fully formed thoughts, but some bullet points only –

1. Min Ho is one complicated son of a gun, and I think he really wants Ji Hyun’s dad to get the surgery and get better. He may want to swindle the guy, but he doesn’t want him dead.

2. In Jung I like because she’s a very nuanced and conflicted second female lead, but I also love seeing Ji Kyung finally get the upper hand around In Jung. It’s time she starts getting thwarted.

3. Kang’s grabby tendencies aside, he’s starting to engage Ji Kyung like an adult male and talking with her more and yelling at her less. I like.

4. Yi Kyung is finally awakening from her stupor, and I love how she actually worries that she is going crazy, because that means she actually cares about her own wellbeing, an indicator that she’s returning metaphorically to the land of the living.

5. Ji Hyun is awesome wrapped in cuteness – I now officially adore her. While her pre-accident personality had about as much personality as a fluffy 3 week old kitten, her post-accident personality and newfounded steeliness has me cheering her on like a cheerleader at the state championships. It’s win or go home, Ji Hyun, and I want you to win in every way possible (resurrect, kick Min Ho and In Jung’s ass six-ways to Sunday, and live happily ever after, without or without Kang, depending on your mood).

6. I love this infantile, volatile, and secretly kind-hearted Scheduler. I seriously think he would be perfect with Ji Hyun. Their relationship is probably the most sincere and honest one in the entire drama.