This is a bomb of an episode, with feelings exploding everywhere. Our brothers are forced to confront their past, an unspoken secret that's been eating at them for years, and they have no idea how it will affect their present. And in the midst of all this, they don't how our fairy tale writer fits into their lives — or if she fits at all.
EPISODE 10: "The girl who cried wolf"
Sang-tae has his breakdown in the hospital lounge, announcing to everyone that his brother is trying to kill him. Moon-young looks from him to the sobbing Kang-tae, with what looks like guilt in her eyes. She seems to regret bringing up the King Donkey Ears story to Sang-tae and encouraging him to spill his secrets.
The hospital staff get Sang-tae sedated and leave him to rest in the isolation room. Director Oh and Nurse Park come out to Kang-tae waiting outside, and they urge him to go out and get some fresh air. So Kang-tae walks out, completely numb, with Moon-young following close behind.
After much wandering, Moon-young has to throw her shoe at Kang-tae to make him stop. He tells her to go home, that he needs to be with his brother, and she blurts out that he did nothing wrong that day. He started to run away, but in the end, he jumped into the water and saved Sang-tae.
"I ran away because I really wanted him to die," Kang-tae says. "He knows that... and so do you." So what, Moon-young asks, is he going to sacrifice his entire life for Sang-tae, to atone for his sin?
To that, Kang-tae asks why she had to save him that day. "If you hadn't," he says, voice shaking, "I wouldn't have to live this way." He sheds a tear before turning and walking away, and this time, she stays where she is, silently crying.
Back at the hospital, rumors of the brothers are already spreading. Jung-tae won't stand to have his hyungnim badmouthed, so he blasts the patients and nearby staff with a fire extinguisher. They definitely don't feel like gossiping after that.
Nurse Park has a counseling session with Ok-ran, wanting to find the cause to her recent mood changes. But Ok-ran is only curious about the brothers, and she asks if Kang-tae really tried to kill Sang-tae. Nurse Park says that it's sure to be a misunderstanding, making Ok-ran smile with amusement. Ok-ran brings up a Shakespearean play: "Why do you think Othello killed his wife? Because of a misunderstanding."
By nightfall, the apartment gang is still unable to reach Kang-tae or Moon-young. Jae-soo and Sang-in argue about who's to blame for Sang-tae's outburst, while in the kitchen, Joo-ri's mom gets more aggressive with her vegetable chopping. The boys finally stop fighting when Mom comes in with her knife and deadpans, "Let's eat." As they scramble past, Mom hopes that Kang-tae and Moon-young are taking care of themselves and eating too.
Moon-young is sulking at home, eyeing the flowers that Kang-tae gave her. Meanwhile, Kang-tae is still at the hospital, waiting outside the isolation room. Joo-ri and Cha-yong pass by, and Cha-yong wonders why Kang-tae doesn't just go inside.
Joo-ri says that those with autism shut the door to the world and that Kang-tae is waiting for Sang-tae to open that door. Unfortunately, even the next day, Sang-tae refuses to come out from under his covers, much less his room. It's only when Director Oh drags Kang-tae away and the hallway is clear that Sang-tae peeks out.
Upstairs, Director Oh tries to make Kang-tae feel better. He mentions that he and his son used to do three-legged races and that he would often trip and make them lose; he thinks that Kang-tae and Sang-tae are in their own three-legged race. Kang-tae looks up at that and asks if he's saying that they're holding each other back.
"No," Director Oh says. "You're relying on each other. As long as one person stays strong when the other person falls down, you guys will never fall down together. Try your best to stay strong." And who knows, Director Oh continues, one day, Sang-tae may be able to stay strong for Kang-tae.
