Looking forward to a normal dating life, Sang-eun gets haunted by her past in the latest episodes of Love In Contract.
Fortunately, she has people who truly care for her. More than that, she has two men who harbor beautiful and sincere love for her. But she can only return the same to who her heart beats for.
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Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06| 07| 08| 09|
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Love In Contract Episodes 11 & 12 Highlights
Sang-eun’s face is exposed in the previous episode of Love In Contract just as she’s planning to focus on her relationship with Ji-ho. At the courthouse, Ji-eun bumps into her ex-husband who is firm to make their estrangement permanent.
It was revealed how Ji-eun’s ambitious drive caused the marriage fallout. Acknowledging how karma hit her, she admits how she took Ji-ho for granted.
“It doesn’t bother me. I’ll just trust you and wait for you.”
Learning about the news of Sang-eun’s public exposure, Ji-ho checks on her and reassures her that he’s not affected by the news. Unfortunately, Hae-jin’s family learns about Sang-eun so his mother throws a fit at the office.
To resolve the issue, Sang-eun agrees to meet Hae-jin’s family. So that they won’t make a fuss anymore, she will explain the details of her job to his family.
“Don’t do anything. She’s like a ray of sunshine to me. Whatever choices she makes, I can’t bear to see her suffer.”
Meeting Ji-eun, Hae-jin warns her not to do anything that would hurt Sang-eun and be clueless about her job. It surprised her since she got the same words from Ji-ho. Her innately bitter heart calls Hae-jin’s mom to give the tip that meeting Sang-eun would not be good since the two plans on revealing their contractual relationship.
After learning from Ji-eun about the alimony she gave to Ji-ho which coincided with the money spent on his Mon-Wed-Fri schedule; Hae-jin confronts Ji-ho and urges him to give on Sang-eun if he’s only going to hurt her in the process.
As planned, Sang-eun meets Hae-jin’s parents and discloses the truth about their relationship. She also gives her two cents about the pressure they are both giving Hae-jin which caused his panic disorder. Explaining her divorce status seals the impossibility of INA and Kangjin collaborating for marriage.
“You can only show emotions that you can be responsible for.”
Ending their contractual relationship, Sang-eun reminds Hae-jin to show emotions that he can be confident about. He hopes for a bright life ahead of her since she deserves it.
Hae-jin’s words about not knowing a lot about Sang-eun and that he does not deserve her hit an old wound in Ji-ho’s heart. Pondering over what he knows about his girl, Ji-ho can only think of three things: that she likes salmon, she’s punctual and she’s good at almost everything.
From that assessment, Ji-ho writes down details that he would ask Sang-eun diligently. Adorably, a total of 496 questions and maybe more that he needs to know about her.
Just like any girl in love, Sang-eun obliges her beau’s request to meet him when she’s almost about to sleep. Arriving at his place, she beams learning he wanted to know things about her. However, he struggles to pick a question.
Going on his instinct, he confessed he can’t pick one and revealed the sole question he wants a definite answer. That is if that day is “Day 1” of their relationship which surprised Sang-eun.
Looking at her flustered face, it’s Ji-ho’s turn to be surprised as she responds that her Day 1 started when they first kiss.
Simultaneously, Hae-jin sees the stalker and chases after him. He ends up at a police station so he called Ji-eun. They learn that the stalker is one of Sang-eun’s previous contract husbands.
“I want to take it slowly. I hope there’ll be a lot of time for us. So, let’s not force ourselves to get to know each other. Let’s get to know each other little by little.”
Sharing a quick drink, Ji-ho listens intently as Sang-eun narrates her life. He figures out her relationship with INA Group. Sang-eun tells him that they can take it slow to know each other so that they can spend more and longer time with each other.
Trying to get Ji-ho’s notebook full of questions, Sang-eun lands on his lap and the moment envelops them to share a passionate kiss that could have led to a steamy night if not for Kwang-nam’s call interruption.
When she gets back to the living room, Sang-eun finds a passed-out Ji-ho intoxicated by two wine chocolates. Just then, she receives a call and learns about Hae-jin assaulting the stalker that they have been investigating.
Recognizing her contract husband 8 years ago whom she met recently when his mother passed away, Sang-eun realized something is off with him.
With bad situations piling up for Hae-jin; his uncle pleads to have a bright story to dispel the controversies his nephew has been dealing with. Choosing to protect Sang-eun, he can’t reveal the details to his uncle that it again involves Sang-eun.
“Dating on Sunday sounds a little new to me.”
Sang-eun meets the sister of the stalker who begs on her knees to drop the charges. Later, she furiously tries to make sense out of her brother’s craziness. She was also approached by Ji-eun who talked about the issue that should not be blamed on Sang-eun.
However, the spiteful stalker’s sister created a post online again exposing Sang-eun and how she has been married a few times.
At a park on a date with Ji-ho, Sang-eun overhears the news about Hae-jin’s girlfriend so she looks it up and finds that she’s on the news scorned and hated by people who don’t know her.
Sharing what she just found out to Ji-ho, their first date wrapped up so she can have time alone to contemplate. Hae-jin also checks on her and is working on the damage control.
Back at her apartment, Sang-eun realized how sometimes kindness shown to people doesn’t matter if they are naturally evil. Reckoning how she agreed to the stalker’s sister that she’ll drop the charges.
Confirming their discovery about Ji-ho’s wife’s scandal with Hae-jin; Ji-ho tells his senior that he does not want to be promoted.
“You don’t want to put me in harm. But it’s harder for me to see you suffer. Do you know that?”
After clearing her stress, Sang-eun meets Hae-jin’s camp and agrees to go with “Hae-jin is innocent” plan. Insisting that he’ll feel hurt even more knowing how it will backfire on Sang-eun, she pleads to go with that resolution.
Kwang-nam who can’t stand seeing Sang-eun suffer visits Ji-ho and reveals stories about her. How she has been so selfless that she does not want to see other people having a hard time, but it’s okay for her to feel the pain. In fact, it was Sang-eun who even paid for their wedding cost and he paid her only a small amount.
Confessing he knows Sang-eun really likes him, he hopes that he will save his favorite noona from her current predicament.
At that same moment, Sang-eun confronts Madam Yoo who is annoyingly furious at her for ruining the “project” she created by going through numerous divorce cases.
Ji-ho meets Ji-eun to ask for a favor in protecting Sang-eun. But she refuses to help and gets hurt by the affirmation that Ji-ho has fallen deep with Sang-eun when she wants him to be in a less problematic relationship.
Alone at a cafe, Sang-eun ponders about her situation and receives a call from Ji-ho. Unaware that he’s watching her from afar, she tries to be strong. Expressing how she feels pained realizing it will implicate him, she suggests taking a break. But he’s already behind her back and gives her the comforting embrace she badly needs.
At the press conference, Ji-eun stops Hae-jin from looking stupidly in love and follows Ji-ho’s assessment that would minimize the risks for both Sang-eun and Hae-jin.
“Aren’t we in a relationship to be able to take this much for each other?”
Opting for Hae-jin’s “one great love no matter what” resolution, Ji-ho reassures Sang-eun that they can both work together on her situation. He understands that she has to break up with Hae-jin publicly and he respects that she has to close her last job properly.
When Sang-eun meets Hae-jin, she eats the ordered food he prepared just in case and reveals they will be announcing their breakup. She also reveals that she’s only an adopted daughter of INA Group when he proposed really marrying on paper to save both families.
Fixing the confusion at Ji-ho’s office, Sang-eun crashes at Prosecutor Kim’s birthday celebration. She also clarifies the issue straightforwardly to his colleagues.
Unknown to them, a brewing storm is coming up prepared by Madam Yoo who uses her trump card for INA Group to accept Sang-eun again into the family.
Secretly making a move to protect Sang-eun, he meets INA Group’s secretary about the “Jamie Project” he deduced to be abusive. He also calls Madam Yoo to meet.
Love In Contract Episodes 11 and 12 Musings
With five episodes left, reconciling Madam Yoo’s function and value to the story is getting bleaker in Love In Contract. Her motivation is out of place and being a recurring mention does not make sense at all.
Initially, most viewers would agree that Sang-eun’s journey of claiming her well-deserved retirement spurs the hook of the series. We also hope for her “true love” dream to happen incidentally. Luckily enough, we were blessed with two and a half loving men who can see Sang-eun’s kind and generous heart.
But there’s really something about the arranged marriage between two rich families that do not settle well to the plot of the series. Strangely, the side conflict showing Sang-eun’s past client getting crazy and causing problems sounds fine.
If only Love In Contract focused more on the intricacies involving Sang-eun’s job. Or, how inversely matching she is with Ji-ho. Because fan service is always welcome to a wobbly, routine plot.
Hae-jin also needs to grow and overcome his trauma, and so far, attempts are being done, but no concrete plan still. That is because of the fixation for the INA and Kangjin groups to merge by marriage.
Nevertheless, with the amount of emotional investment and heart-fluttering hauls we got in the series so far, we root for happy closures for the lead characters.
Hopefully, we get more cohering moments that would focus on Sang-eun and relevant development to her discovery of love and purpose in life.
Learn to love and live incidentally to the messages of Love In Contract every Wednesday and Thursday on tvN and TVING! International fans can watch it on Prime Video!
Photos/Videos: tvN Drama