Fall In Love With Both Of Me - Episode 2 (A SqueeCap)

Shuk:  So connections yet again trump sincerity in DramaLand.  What can OZ do to survive?  Or, better yet, how can our dorky hero pull a miracle out of his hat?
JoAnne: He can make sure it's the rich one's hat?

EPISODE 2


Shuk:  PD Leo, yet again the voice of reason, convinces Chalk Girl to let go of that old meanie Lu Xian Ting. In front of every one, he slips into his cold persona, and tells Tao Zi that what’s done is done and can’t be changed.  And since she is the face and heart of the company, she cannot cry when something bad happens to her company.  She just goes emotionless and leaves. PD Leo faces off Super, and warns him that when a company loses its integrity, it loses everything.
JoAnne: What I already like about the Lu Xian Ting version is that he is giving her advice that's sound, that will help her grow.  It LOOKS like he's being mean, but he's not.

Shuk:  Chalk Girl is in the lounge area, staring out into the darkness of the beach, sniffing back tears.  She apologizes out loud to her brother for not being able to successfully land the account.  SuperAdMan overhears her, and I’m sure he is itching to help, but how?  She wonders out loud what she can do to save the company and keep her brother’s memory alive. He walks away, looking at the OZ ball, as a shooting star streaks across the sky.
JoAnne:  Do Min Joon? 

Shuk:  PD Leo breaks into Chalk Girl’s crying jag; he tells her she may feel that she let her brother down, but he promises to always be by her side to fulfill her brother’s dream. And he one-arm hugs her.
JoAnne: I'm telling you, he's the second lead. Are we all in agreement on this?  Or well...is he the third lead, because we've got the first two positions sewn up by Lu Xian Ting?

Shuk:  The gang gets ready to leave. Chalk Girl is the first out, but she unfortunately bumps into Super, who also looks like he’s checked out.  They do a bit of zig-zag before he walks silently past her with a look of frustration on his face.  Through his open hotel room, though, we see his brown leather wallet.
Shuk:  Lance is finishing up some real estate ad case work with the rest of the Tian Xing team when their intrepid leader shows up.  He talks to Toady alone, asking him for an explanation for the underhanded methods to steal the real estate case. Lance refuses to back down.  Their company is not just CEO’s personal playground. Tian Xing counters that the advertising world is a small one, and it’s not good for a big company to stomp on a little one.  Toady is wondering why all the concern over such a small matter.  Super can’t really say.
JoAnne: Why not start with 'reputations are not small matters' ?

Shuk:  Chalk Girl is at Tian Xing, when a celeb-van pulls up and a high-heeled princess struts out of it. The security guard is all stares and smiles when she offers her autograph. Once the van is gone, Chalk Girl pulls in and heads inside to look for Tian Xing.
JoAnne: She's very cute, but incredibly annoying already. Make her go away!

Shuk:  Princess MotorMouth is in a high-pitched tizzy for missing her lipstick. She sends out her coordi to pick it up.  Both Chalk Girl and MotorMouth end up staring at each other in front of the elevator.  MotorMouth offers to sign something, and Chalk Girl recognizes her.  She is fashion model Li Huan Huan (Beatrice Fang)!  She offers the chance for a selfie, but her coordi shows back up and puts the kibosh on that.  If she takes selfies, she won’t be ‘mysterious’ anymore.  He also refuses to allow Chalk Girl on the elevator for the same reason.  MotorMouth happily squeals that soon she will see her Tian Xing Gue Gue!
JoAnne: Somehow, I don't think she means brother brother. I think she means Oppa brother. Shit. I can't stand her voice.

Shuk:  Once upstairs, MotorMouth goes to his office to wait for him.  Chalk Girl is forced to wait outside.
JoAnne: It's ok, Chalkie. Your day is coming. He ALREADY likes you better.

Shuk:  Toady tells Super to just relax and let him run the company for the next three months.  He glances outside the glass walls and sees MotorMouth.  A short moment later she’s glomping all over him.  And it turns out she is Toady’s sister.  Toady mentions his three months off, and MotorMouth is ready to spend the vacation with him. Clearly reality has never been a place of her residence. And clearly, Super only tolerates her.
JoAnne: I am plotting how to avoid her in this drama.

Shuk:  Chalk Girl sneaks past the secretary when she is distracted, and runs up the stairs to Super’s office. She gets to first hand witness the interaction, and snarks that CEO sure love office liaisons.  He wants to know why she’s here; she asks if he will give her back the case if she gives back the wallet.  He just plucks it out of her hand, tells her it’s two different things, and the contract is signed.  Her eyes get wet, and he gives her some parting advice - in her position, he would think of an idea to turn the situation around, and not dwell on useless things. She grows a backbone and promises they will survive and be successful.  As she leaves, MotorMouth flounces over to him, commenting on Chalk Girl's fierceness.  He just stares at her retreating back.
JoAnne: Yes, MM, keep pointing out the good qualities of your rival.  Please.

Shuk:  In the lobby, she rips a portrait of Xian Ting out of a magazine and takes it with her. At her own office, she sits outside on a bench, and thinks as GhostOppa gives her some pearls of wisdom. He puffs out just before a certain Dork shows up.
JoAnne: This kid is gonna kill himself running back and forth like this.
Shuk:  Chalk Girl confesses to Dork that they lost the realty case, and he finally gets to tell her that it wasn’t her fault. They decide to focus on new business, so they can beat that big poo-head, Lu Xian Ting.  In fact, Dork looks so much like him, it makes her want to punch him.  He mildly offers her two free hits, and she smiles and invites him to dinner at her parent’s place. He remembers the Night of the Long Knives and doesn’t really want to go, but tags along anyway.  As they stroll towards the van, she mentions that her mom can always remember the people she has massaged.  He has a flash of panic, since she massaged his shoulders as SuperAdMan.
JoAnne: This could be a useful skill.  It's completely wasted on Mommy Tao though.

Shuk:  Sure enough, as soon as they pull up, she is on the porch with the pole sword at the ready.  A radish slice or two later, Chalk Girl tries to explain who he is, and more importantly, who he isn’t. Mom isn’t listening, and Butler Fu steps in to prevent mayhem. Cover blown!
JoAnne: But seriously, how long can they keep this up?
Shuk:  Or is it? Mom suddenly goes girly; it seems Butler Fu and Tao Dad competed for her affections before she was married. After a few moony-eyed moments, Dad huffs into view. Butler Fu makes an act of realizing that the boss isn’t really the “boss” before punching him in the jaw.
JoAnne: I laughed out loud at that - this actor is very funny, though, I'm glad to see him here.

Shuk:  At the dinner table, Dork is holding an icepack to his face; Fu whispers that he thought his boss was up to some evil plan, and that’s why he hit him a little too hard.

Shuk:  During dinner, Butler Fu flirts with TaoMom, thanking her for the added ingredient of tenderness into her cooking. The conversation switches to the doppelganger at the table, and then to everybody’s bad boy. Butler Fu says Master Lu isn’t a bad sort, and offers to bring him by. That gets TaoDad going, calling him their #1 enemy, and promises to buy back the company shares.
JoAnne: OMG I just realized - all those years ago, when they were struggling after the son died? Did Tian Xing arrange for the help back then????
Shuk:  He might have asked his dad for help, especially with the Fu-Lu link, but remember he was just a lad. On the other hand, he might have a protective streak for her dating back that far, too. It's food for thought.

Shuk:  After dinner, Tian Xing comments on the sparks popping off between Butler Fu and TaoMom, but he just blushes a bit and says it’s from a long time ago. Chalk Girl is asking the same thing of her parents, and we get the previous generation’s Love Triangle Story.

Shuk:  Mom met Fu and Dad at the same time (when she was 14), and they both were madly in love with her.  They promised a gentlemanly and fair competition for her hand, but Fu had to do his military service, and Dad cheated so he could marry Mom before Fu’s service was up and while she was still in high school.  Chalk Girl calls him out on this, but he says there’s no such thing as gentlemen when it comes to relationships.
JoAnne: Funny story: my dad did the exact same thing with my mom.

Shuk:  In his house, Super is glumly looking at his OZ-ball. Even if he wanted to return the real estate case, Toady has already signed the contract. Butler comes up with the idea of finding another company who likes OZ’s ad idea and convincing them to sign with OZ. And it just so happens he knows of one!
JoAnne: Butler Fu has Ad Fu? Realty Fu? Solution Fu?

Shuk:  Bangs and Kitty are brainstorming with Chalk Girl, trying to come up with a plan. She promises that the company won’t fail; in the meantime, they’ll just pick up odd jobs.

Shuk:  Dork is trying to find anyone from OZ when he spots a Chalk Chicken handing out fliers.  He offers to help so they can be done early, but before they go in separate directions he calls out that her shoe is untied, so he kneels down and reties it. She’s touched, and smiles at his back when he heads out. I think she’s getting a little tingly notion now.
JoAnne: Yeah, I think she thinks he's a cutie pie alright.
Shuk:  The pair split lunch after an afternoon of flier-passing-outing. He promises that good things happen to those who wait, and he is sure some good news will come soon. She’s a little less positive, but he tells her to close her eyes and count to seven while making a wish to see what happens. She does so, but nothing happens. Unless you count him staring at her the entire time. A few seconds later, though, her phone rings, and he squeezes back a smile.
JoAnne: Oh look, it's reciprocal cutie pie believing. Well they ARE both adorable, it's true.

Shuk:  At OZ, Dork is less than happy about his alter-ego’s pic on a punching bag, covered in graffiti and hand darts. But the entire gang is there, and Chalk Girl happily announces that another realty company has agreed to sign a contract to give their advertising to OZ. Yay! They talk about the actors they want for the television CF, and Chalk Girl wants to use an older actress named Jing Jin-ah. Oldie hasn’t done any CF’s or any work for years, but Chalk Girl is convinced that she is the best person for the job.
JoAnne: What fateful connection will we have here?

Shuk:  Dork heads out and meets up with our Expositional Fairy Fu to find out why the actress won’t accept cases no matter how much she is offered.  It turns out she lost contact with her son because of all her travelling and contract work, so now refuses to accept anything. So it will be nigh impossible for Chalk Girl to get that actress for her promo.
JoAnne: This is a drama! Miracles can happen!

Shuk:  Tao Zi is locking up and leaving OZ when Butler Fu shows up requesting a moment of her time for his Young Master.  They go to a wine cellar café, and he invites her to dinner. She doesn’t want to, but sits down anyway. He goes all chaebol-ly on her: she’s never eaten at such an establishment [manly chuckle] so just order anything and enjoy the experience.
JoAnne: Fine. I would like your liver, with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.

Shuk:  She goes on the offensive and asks why she should eat with him.  He knows why Jin-ah no longer accepts acting gigs, and he will tell her if she has dinner with him. She wonders how he knew, but he just calls it grapevine gossip.
JoAnne: I swear to God I thought you said she wonders why she should eat him, and I thought we were having one of those mystical squeecapper connections that we have sometimes.

Shuk:  She orders, and when the food arrives she strips off the green onions on top. He laughs at her and tells her that they are brain food so she should eat them. With that, she throws down the fork and says she’s done eating. Since he won’t tell her anything, she’s leaving.  He offers her dessert, but she is done with him wasting her time and heads for the exit.
JoAnne: Well that was just childish.

Shuk:  He does the chase-and-arm-grab. Why can’t she even spend ten minutes to get the answers she needs?  She snarls that it’s her business and none of his, but he rages on.  Because she won’t accept help, she runs around in circles and accomplishes nothing. Her company will fail if she doesn’t fix her methods and attitude.
JoAnne: PREACH IT.
Shuk:  She pauses for a moment and looks him in the eye, then tries to twist out his grasp.  She only succeeds in tangling his watch into her hairband.  And now she is centimeters from his face as he carefully unclasps his watch.  She stares at his face until the watch is free and then, when his eyes focus back on her face, she gives an almighty heave and pushes him away.  The watch, unfortunately, goes flying through the air before crashing to the ground, shattering the crystal.
JoAnne: Did you hold your breath too? I did. There was a little bit of snap crackle KISS chemistry happening there...

Shuk:  The snooty jeweler examines the watch, and while he is doing so Chalk Girl apologizes and promises to pay for the repairs or replacement. Super replies that it is a limited-edition, numbered 001; where would she find something similar.  The jeweler speaks; it is repairable, but will cost about 200 000 TWD ($ 6600 US / 4760 EUR). She squeals in outrage; he snipes that had she stayed for dessert, none of this would have happened.  She only needs to pay for a tenth of repairs.  She agrees, but asks to pay in installments.  He tells her write out an IOU on the repair receipt.
JoAnne: Blessed be, these ties that bind our OTP.

Shuk: Outside the MontBlanc store, he decides he needs collateral as well. Quick as a cat, he snags the watch her arm, in spite of her protestations. He puts it on his wrist; it’s older but can still tell time.  It’s clear that it’s very important to her, and she all but begs him not to damage it.  She also promises to think on what he told her in the restaurant, but also promises to show him what she can do. A smile flits across his face as he watches her leave.
JoAnne: So you know of course that the watch is her brother's...

Shuk:  Chalk Girl is thinking about her IOU and decides to go on a cleaning frenzy.  Except that she shreds the feather duster. Kitty sees this, and whispers to the mutt that they must have a new case for the boss to act like this.

Shuk:  When she makes it to the office, GhostOppa is there. They stare at the static ad from that ill-fated shoot all those years ago. He tells her to work hard for her dreams, and as long as someone is by her side, you can press on.
JoAnne: Yeah? How come he doesn't tell her WHO is at her side?
Shuk:  It's prohibited for a ghost to provide any useful information. Chapter 11, Handbook For The Recently Deceased.

Shuk:  Dork pops in just as GhostOppa disappears.  He claps her on the back and they head out. On the road they head-bop to the radio tunes and things are great between them.
JoAnne: They are the poster children for the sweetness of falling in love, it's ridiculous.

Shuk:  Things are not great at the actress’ home.  Both are summarily pushed out the door as the older woman stalks to the rooftop garden. She ignores them as they drop off a gift and leave. I'll note the comfortable touching and closeness between Dork and Chalk Girl.
JoAnne: There once was a woman named Jing who said acting's no longer her thing; those kids pushed and they pried, they even tried bribes! But none of it worked, not even the bling.
Shuk: [bows to Unni for the superior limerick]

Shuk: As they sadly walk back through the apartment complex, Dork asks one of the neighbors about Aunt Jing. The friendly neighbor spills the beans about the estrangement with her son. Nosey Nellie shows them a postcard that’s been in Aunt Jing’s mailbox for a long while. Tao Zi takes a quick photo of the front and back.
JoAnne: Federal offense! Mail Tampering! No, not really.

Shuk:  Back at OZ, Dork is the hero of the hour for helping discover the reason behind the hiatus.  He also easily finds the son’s American address and contact information. PD Leo and Kitty are there as well, and Leo takes a good long look at Dork.
JoAnne: Does he recognize a rival, or does he recognize The Rival?

Shuk: At the Tao residence, Mom is cleaning up the feathers from the stick that used to be a duster. She explains to PD Leo and Dork that this is her daughter’s way to relieve stress. LOL, they have a entire closet of dusters. TaoMom focuses on Dork, since he looks like the man giving his daughter a hard time. He retreats as she gets closer, finally telling her that he’s scared. Lol.

Shuk:  Mom pulls back, and starts working on PD Leo’s shoulder muscles. After a few minutes (and the pained expressions on Leo’s face are priceless), she decides to turn her skills onto Evil Lu’s nice twin. Tian Xing panics when he realizes she may recognize him by touch.  Uh oh!
JoAnne: Isn't one bony shoulder just like any other? And besides, they can explain it all away by saying that the two men were born relatively near each other, and a vengeful ghost just  stole one of their faces and plastered it on the other.
Shuk: You're still smarting over Bride Of The Century, aren't you.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Shuk:  The interactions between our two-person triangle get more and more convoluted, which makes me smile hugely.  Tao Zi is very comfortable with Xiao Lu as a colleague and very aware of Tian Xing as a man. And both of him light up whenever he sees her. I think he started looking at her differently when he realized her identity, but it seems his awareness of her is growing by leaps and bounds. And it’s gotta stick in his craw that she will hang out with Dork and be all friendly-feely, but keep the AdMan at arm’s length.  
JoAnne: It's the best part! The self-jealousy!

Shuk:  I don’t feel that our second leads have any real pull at this point in time.  Huan Huan is the yippy harmless type (at least for now), and PD Leo has spent far too much time in the background to ever step forward. The rest of the gang?  I love them, almost as much as I loathe our toady Lance.  He’s the kind of two-faced smarmy character that’s there just to focus our hatred, and so far he’s doing a good job.
JoAnne: Agreed. I like the Oz crew a lot, I think Butler Fu is awesome, and I think The Loathsome Siblings should go away. It's too bad, because her face is cuteness personified.  I feel a little bad for Leo, especially if he just always meant to stay in the background with his secret pining love, but if instead he assumed it would be him by default, or that he had all the time in the world, then OH WELL...you snooze, you lose.