Birth of A Beauty Ep 10 Recap (and why HTH is utterly swoon-worthy)

Boy, did this episode pack a punch in terms of deep questions! Much of the villainy is set aside as we focus on our leads, though trouble has begun to brew in certain quarters. We start off with HTH’s shock announcement that he is the long-lost Dong Geul aka Han Dong Eun. HMH and his mother look as though they’ve been forced to eat Dungbombs as the board of directors buzzes amongst themselves. GCY begins to questions things as well, pondering the circumstances of her first meeting with HTH.

HTH confides to a weary Ji Hoon (GCY’s brother and his adopted brother) that Sara’s birthday is the next day and he wants to make it a day to remember. Ji Hoon, who may know a lot about superficial women but doesn’t understand gems like Sara, suggests an ‘aristocratic date’. HTH gleefully plans one , which promises to be a disaster. Meanwhile a super happy Sara relives that hug when HTH arrives home from some shopping. Her reactions upon hearing his dulcet tones is hilarious as is his reaction upon speaking in said dulcet tones
 They’re both a bit awkward around each other and things get even more amusing when HTH notices that’s she’s put on makeup.

Hilarity ensues, after which he presents her with an entire department store’s worth of clothing and tells her to get dressed up for their date tomorrow. An undoubtedly weary Team Leader Choi, pulls out all stops in prepping for said date (unrolling the red carpet and providing applause)  and the happy arm goes arm in arm to the opera…upon which Sara promptly falls asleep.

HTH berates her on not enjoying “upper class pleasures” to which she responds with the fact that things like those are only for those born with a gold spoon in their mouth, ie the lazy rich. HTH then tries to buy her jewelry  upon Ji Hoon’s suggestion only for her gratefully thank him for the thought, and dismiss the offer. Sara softens upon realizing that he’s going this far because it’s her birthday but suggests a much better place to enjoy their date, a buffet.

HTH is promptly dragged off to a supermarket, where Sara munches her way through the free samples, still in their fancy opera clothing. Add to that her sudden reaction upon seen a 1+1 deal for toilet paper and the date is pretty much ruined.

An annoyed HTH berates her once they get home, asking why she can’t enjoy things like other women. The resulting conversation is unbelievably refreshing and thought-provoking and leaves HTH deflated, wondering just what kind of man he is and whether he’s that different from those who were so cruel to Sara.

HMH and Evil Mom quiz GCY on the specifics of the when she first met HTH. The laws of thinking within this drama stand, as they appear utterly oblivious to the fact that GCY is picking up on the looks of terror they keep shooting each other.    Honestly are our four leads the only ones capable of thinking within this drama? Needless to say, GCY’s suspicions are confirmed and suddenly HTH appears a lot more attractive. Too bad she hadn’t thought that five six episodes ago, it’s too late for you now, GCY. LKJ’s father is horrified to hear to his son’s imprisonment and visits Sara’s mother in the hospital who confirms every charge against his son. LKJ’s father appears to have some history with Sara’s mother, as they address each other by the more formal ‘in-law’ at one turn, then ‘oppa’ at the other. Hmm, is there anything between them besides their hometown connection? Sara makes the error of putting in an appearance then. True to the laws of thinking with this drama, LKJ’s father thinks nothing of the visit and of mentioning to his imprisoned son, who continuously feigns innocence.
Yet suspicion flares to life within LKJ, who then orders his minion to stalk Sara’s every move.

He uses blackmail information on a shady prosecutor named Han, to buy his way out of jail as the minion begins to follow Sara.

HTH is in a deep funk after Sara’s words and wonders how to prove that he really cares for her.

(Gosh you cutie)
Meanwhile, Sara is deeply moved during a visit to her mother’s beside, when she hears her mother wish for her happiness. On her way home, she comes face-to-face with HMH, who appears to have joined the ranks of Sara’s stalkers, and presents her with an ocarina, with the hidden message that he will be going after. Not that Sara gets it. Watching them from the sidelines is HTH, who’d hoped to be the first one to wish her a happy birthday.
As the clock strikes midnight while Sara and HMH converse, a disgruntled HTH, returns home and acts hilariously petty once Sara gets back (with a “hmph!” no less). He makes her breakfast the next day, which delights her, and awkwardly bring up the topic of what would happen were he to like SGR as well as Sara. Sara reminds him she is still technically married to LKJ, as her body was never found, which deflated him. Her advice to just consider her as SGR which, according to her, will surely get rid of his interest, pains him as he looks at her with sorrowful eyes.

They go together to visit his grandmother. HTH is as nervous as hell, when Sara offers him her hand. Clearly reassured with her at his side, they wait for PMD to appear. The reunion is as joyful as it is sad, with PMD not even bothering to look at the proof that HTH is HDE, recognizing her own flesh and blood immediately. Announcing his intent to rescue her, the three share a quiet moment.
  
HMH is furious to hear that HTH has called for a meeting with the board of directors, without him being invited. He storms in only to be presented with DNA results that HTH really is HDE.

The directors show every indication of switching to HTH’s side. Evil Mom fumes HMH schemes, realizing that HTH barely has any shares in Winner Group while, he has the second most, after PMD. And frankly he doesn’t see the latter as threat, seeing as she’s in presently residing in jail. I wonder if this is what is going to be used as conflict to fuel the 10 episodes we have remaining.

Sara heads for the first broadcast of her show, and receives a call from HTH who congratulates her before offering that they meet at 10pm at a popular destination for lovers, should she feel the same way about him that he does about her. He’s determined to show her that he cares for both Sara and SGR. GCY overhears the conversation and is horrified that HTH could even bring himself to care for Sara, knowing her past. (Not everyone is as superficial as you, GCY).       Her animosity towards Sara is palpable throughout the first broadcast, even more so once the show is over and she calls Sara to a corner. GCY immediately warns her to stay away from HTH, stating that she won’t stand for a “woman like her” getting him. I love how Sara just sticks to her guns and doesn’t let GCY run roughshod over her.        And I absolutely loved this moment. It really shows what she thinks of love and why GCY will never be able to understand it. For Sara, love is all about the things you do for each other and give for each other. Someone as self-obsessed as GCY would never understand that sort of feeling.     It’s also interesting to note that Sara clearly states that she does not hope for happiness. It’s almost as if this desire for revenge, and subsequent events have led her to believe that she has no hope for a happy life, what with all the baggage she carries. It’s this way of thinking that HTH tries to get her out of, showing that he is more that capable of shouldering said baggage, should she want him to. Needless, to say Sara all but grinds her heels in GCY’s face and leaves.
We pan to a shot showing the vast disparity between Sara (surrounded by wellwishers) and GCY (all by her lonesome). and that LKJ’s minion has been watching this exchange. Uh-oh.
The minion then reports to LKJ stating that a man appears to live in Sara’s house as well, which puts LKJ on red alert. Something is going on, and LKJ has finally caught onto it.  

Sara returns home to HTH who is trying to wire his brain to process Sara as SGR, using something that looks like a stethoscope wound around his head. Hey, whatever works, when you’re a genius, I guess. Needless to say he succeeds and freaks out at first, upon seeing SGR. Sara then proceeds to re-enact the past episode’s cleaning speed in her maid outfit and this time HTH cringes from shock, rather than awareness. Rushing to his room, he tries to convince himself that he is far more than a walking bundle of hormones and nearly succeeds just when Sara announces that she’s going to practice the Karmasutra and needs him to correct her form, upon which any brains he had just crumbles away. He practically flees in the midst of the session, leaving a laughing Sara behind.

We then cut to them baking once more, and this time HTH insists that surely Sara can do it by herself, Sara sighs sadly, taking it as confirmation of what she’d known from the start. No man would love someone as large as SGR and she knew it. She tells him of why she even jumped at marrying LKJ and the answer is so on par with what LKJ himself said in a previous episode (that lead to her putting a sedative in his food) that it’s painful to hear.
HTH looks more and more pained as she continues, stating that she didn’t know if she’d ever have such a change again, whether there would ever be another man who was interesting in her, so she hurriedly got married. She accepts his feelings with gratefulness but tells him that it’s time to stop. And it is his lack of recriminations, this understanding and utter compassion that gets to HTH. Because that’s what he fell for to begin with.
Yes, she’s pretty, she’s super duper gorgeous, but what always moved him (just as it did her) were the small things they did for each other. Saving mothers, and grandmothers, and replacing smashed furniture and stolen jewelry and smashing recordings to prevent him from hearing and being hurt, that was their dynamic, and that’s what snaps HTH back more than anything, as he sees and hears the same traits that he fell for. And Sara deserves credit for this as well. She’s not snotty, or high-handed now that she’s beautiful. She’s stayed the same through and through, while maturing all the same ( à la Nam Da Jung) and that’s what’s made her such an awesome character to see. I actually like that they didn’t try to show HTH magically falling for SGR’s form as that would have been a little unrealistic. It was a bit of a shock after seeing her so stunning for so long, and that fact isn’t sugarcoated. But in showing the compassion and care he shows towards SGR, they show that it’s neither SGR’s face nor Sara’s that he fell for but her personality, and regardless of what her outer shell is, regardless of how much of a shock it is for him at first, all he needs is to see and hear HER, and she is, in order to put things in perspective. And that’s what happens, as she gently thanks him for even liking her to begin with.She gets flour on her face just as Sara did in the previous episode, which HTH points out, before gently wiping off.
It’s a moving moment for both as Sara has previously said that HTH would never have bothered wiping the flour off SGR’s face were she the one doing the baking. In doing so, HTH more than proves just whom he loves, and both of them just stay there lost in the moment.

Not content with others being happy GCY schemes to break this 10pm date, assured that HTH will come running if she calls.
(And this, lady, is what happens when you get too much surgery done on your face. Stop while you still can!)
She feigns illness and calls her brother who then calls HTH as he has a surgery to go to. HTH goes, more for the sake of their familial ties than anything else, while GCY tries to delay the him from leaving as much as possible, feigning this and that. As 10pm nears, HTH finally calls the ever-present Team Leader Choi and dumps GCY unceremoniously in his car, instructing him to take her home instead.
LKJ waits in a parked car outside Sara’s home pondering the pictures the minion brought him that show a man entering the house right behind Sara. Uh-oh, that’s a nasty look she has in his eyes

Sara recalls her mother’s words, wishing happiness for SGR wherever she is now, and rushes out to the meeting place, finally ready for a chance at happiness.

Fuming at being discarded so abruptly (though really, woman, what were you expecting) GCY’s claws come in full force as she sends a petty little text to Sara, saying that HTH won’t be coming as he’s with her at the moment.
Not one to be dissuaded that easily, Sara waits on the bridge, as HTH madly races towards her. He arrives to find the area deserted and wonders if she left already, berating himself for arriving so late. That’s when he spots her sitting a ways head, in the cold and rushes over. And this happens.

Aww! It’s incredibly moving that he calls her SGR, rather than Sara, showing that he loves HER, fundamentally. And by the way she gets all tear-eyes, she definitely understands that. Aww! Now to see what wrenches GCY and LKJ will be throwing into our happy couple’s path. We’ve 10 episodes left, and things have been going entirely in our duo’s favour so far, so I’m expecting plenty of wrenches ahead. So long as our character stay true to themselves and don’t suddenly turn into pale angsty shells of themselves, then I’m in this for the long haul.

Fight on, you two!