The Heirs

Chapter 9

After Young-do’s cafeteria terrorizing, Tan finds Eun-sang crying on the roof and stops her from answering Young-do’s call by moving in for a kiss. I do dearly wish their first kiss were more about wanting to kiss than, say, staking a claim over your rival, but I think I have to give up hopes of that drama ever happening in this world.

Tan has grabbed her by the wrist, and the phone (which has accepted the call) falls out of her grasp. Gah, I hate that subtext So Damn Much, that he has subdued the girl’s protests with his manly romantic aggressiveness. This writer.

Tan breaks the kiss and warns her not to answer calls from Young-do, or he’ll go crazy and also kill Young-do: “I have no middle ground.” Is that supposed to be romantic? That’s an honest question. I feel like I’m in alienromanceland and need an interpreter.

Eun-sang hurries away, missing more of Young-do’s incoming calls, though he sees her on her way down and grabs her by the wrist. She flings his hand off angrily, and gratifyingly he looks a bit stunned at that (as though tripping her and smearing her with lunch earned him a better response?).

Myung-soo wonders at Young-do’s behavior, pointing out that he never bullied girls before. Nice to know you had boundaries. Young-do says that this time was different—he tripped Eun-sang “because I wanted to know how I would feel if I did that.” Biggest facepalm in the history of the world, insert here. Myung-soo tells him that if he’s interested he ought to confess rather than bully.

Bo-na finds Eun-sang washing her soiled jacket in the bathroom and shoves a change of clothes at her. Aw, I love how she’s grudgingly coming around, even though she says grumpily that she’s only doing it because of Chan-young. Or maybe it’s because she’s so reluctant to care that makes it all the more endearing.

Tan spots Young-do in the lobby and charges at him, which erupts into a full-fledged fight. A crowd gathers in no time and Rachel guesses at the cause, which explains (I guess) why she finds Eun-sang in the bathroom and yanks on her hair. Oy. When did this turn into a Neanderthals: A Love Story?

Eun-sang and Bo-na hear about the fight and run to the scene, which has been interrupted by students pulling the boys apart. Into the mix comes Madam/Director Jung, who’s all, “You two again?”

She calls them in for an explanation and gets none, the boys as tight-lipped as ever. But this time won’t get glossed over with a lecture, and she states that they’ll investigate footage to see exactly who started it, and states that she won’t have them putting a stain on her workplace—they get to graduate and leave, but this is her career.

Young-do pokes at Tan’s sore spot on their way out, taunting that his mother worried about her career more than his safety, saying that it must because she’s not his biological mother. God, can you shut it with the mom barbs? It’s one thing to be a charming smartass, but now he’s turning into a one-trick bully. Young-do smirks, “Aren’t you all wound up to know when and how I’ll use the ‘Kim Tan is Jeguk Group’s Illegitimate Son’ card?”

Tan is unfazed: “You can’t use that card. Without it, you’re nothing, and you can’t do anything to me.” Boo-urns.

Eun-sang worries with Chan-young, thinking that she’s been marked as the new bullying target (it hasn’t even occurred to her that Young-do’s interest may lie elsewhere). Chan-young promises to fight on her side, but worries about something worse than her status being revealed: Tan liking her. That would open her up to even more abuse.

He explains that the school is full of kids who’d dearly love to see Tan fall, but aren’t able to go after him directly—so if they found out he likes Eun-sang, they’d go after her as punishment by proxy. That’s how he interprets Young-do’s attacks on her, in fact.