If I’m going to be completely honest, episode 15 of Buried Hearts really doesn’t seem like the penultimate episode of the show. In fact, this almost deliberate and slightly boring episode feels a bit like it was meant to be the 12th or 13th one. This is not to say that we should’ve had a bunch of action sequences or fight scenes just because there’s only one episode remaining, but it just feels a little bit dry in comparison to the juicier middle section of the show. In this episode, Dongju seems to be speculating about what to do in the current situation after the whole Yeom debacle. It looked like that would’ve been enough to get the guy arrested, but we are talking about the man who basically corrupted the entire nation at this point. On the other hand, I’ve been saying Seonu will flip for a really long time, but for some reason, that flip has been left for the final episode. With that said, I’ll jump straight into everything that happens in episode 15.
Spoiler Alert
What Does Dongju Want To Become?
Buried Hearts episode 15 begins right at the end of episode 14. The videos are already circulating to every corner of the internet, but Yeom reminds Dongju that there’s no evidence against him. But I suppose this is just damage control for Dongju in a way, because if anything happens now, Yeom will be the first person to be blamed. Before letting him go, Dongju asks Yeom why he killed his father, Ildo. Yeom tells him that it’s because he acted out against him, and Dongju is to blame for his death, just as Dongju’s sister’s death was also his own fault, according to Yeom. “If you hadn’t shaken up your dad, he’d still be alive right now,” is what Yeom tells him. Dongju recalls how his dad told him on the day of his death that the best thing that’s happened to him is him standing up to Yeom and breaking free of his bounds.
On the other hand, Seonu finds the video on the internet and immediately tells his parents that Dongju stole 2 trillion won, and his sister had to pay the price. Meanwhile, Wonbae recovers from being beaten up at Dr. Park’s. Dongju feels terribly guilty for putting his dear friend in this position, but Wonbae reassures him that he’s doing okay.
Meanwhile, the Elder shows up at Yeom’s house, obviously after seeing the video, and instead of apologizing for the mess, Yeom straight up asks the President if he’s there because of the devious Dongju. The President takes Dongju’s side at first but then tells Yeom that if he’s able to bring him the two trillion won Dongju stole, he’ll pretend like the boy doesn’t even exist. But Yeom promises him something bigger than 2 trillion won; he tells him that he’s going to get him all of the Daesan Group, starting with Daesan Energy. On the other hand, Assemblywoman Seok Sugyeong puts Daesan Energy and Dongju on the map, i.e., claims that Dongju’s got his fingers in a big slush fund handled by Daesan Energy. We know this is not true, but it’s a good way to tarnish Dongju’s and, in turn, Ildo’s reputation, and remove the blame from Yeom a little bit. Turns out she’s working with Gukhui, who is working with Seonu’s mom, all to defeat Dongju. When Seonu’s mother talks to Yeom, she expresses concern that whatever’s happening may hurt the Chairman, which she doesn’t want. No, I don’t think she cares. I think she just thinks if he gets hurt, Seonu will too.
In a flashback, we see Dongju and his sister back in the day, before she became a nun. She told him she’d leave everything and go to the Lord only if it meant that Dongju was doing okay without her. Dongju replied that he was paying for everything he owned with the salary Madam Pi gave him, so there was really nothing to worry about. She then told him to go to college and study again. In the present day, Dongju wishes he hadn’t studied and gone to Daesan, because then his sister would still be alive. Later, Dongju and VP Choi notice that the Chairman’s dementia has worsened. Meanwhile, his daughter threatens his wife yet again, but his wife doesn’t back down now. Seonu’s mom tells Deokhui to give her the CEO position of the Deokhui Foundation. Deokhui then insults Seonu’s mom as a woman who has no qualifications and just seduced her dad. Seonu’s mom doesn’t back down, and Deokhui gets violent, grabbing her stepmother by the hair and reminding her who’s “boss.” Seonu ends up watching this transpire, but he doesn’t help his mom. He’s definitely got a plan brewing in his head, but I don’t know just yet what it is.
At the same time, Dongju tells the Chairman that he should make him the head of Daesan Energy because that’s the only way it’ll be secure for Seonu. There was an issue with the crude oil import with Daesan Energy earlier, and it was Dongju who persuaded the Elder to let Daesan do its thing, while Yeom was holding it back before then. This was the first time Dongju met the Elder and then told him about the 2 trillion won, which he was able to transfer to the Elder at any given time if he just asked. Then, for a moment of respite (for whom, I’m not sure, the characters or us), Dongju and Eunnam meet for a bit. Eunnam reminds Dongju about how he wondered before if they’d ever be able to break free of the stuff their parents did. Eunnam is just worried that Dongju is putting himself in more dangerous positions, but he tells her he’s perfectly safe. It’s a bittersweet moment, but I wonder if Dongju will ever be able to be happy again.
What Happens To The Chairman?
Seonu’s mom meets up with Yeom and hands him some documents that could help in making a case against Dongju. She asks Yeom straight up when Dongju will leave Dasean. He reminds her that she has to make sure that Seonu knows that Dongju and Taeyun are brothers, so he has to be extra cautious of them. The thing is, Seonu knows this is a problem, but I don’t know why he isn’t acting on it yet. He’s been playing around with his lighter, and I really don’t know what to make of that. Is he going to burn down the flat? Is he going to straight up ask Dongju to leave? I guess we’ll have to find out in the final episode, where there won’t be enough time for anything of substance, so I guess we’ll just have to see if he likes Dongju for real or not.
Meanwhile, Dongju meets with Deokhui and tells her to back him up with her shares to become the CEO of Daesan. He tells her that Seonu’s mother is using Yeom to sway the Chairman, and, well, technically, Deokhui’s son and Dongju are half brothers, so it makes sense she supports him. Deokhui thinks she can make Dongju give up his inheritance, but Dongju reminds her that he’s the one offering her help for Taeyun’s sake. Finally, Dongju hosts a press conference where he says he’s submitted evidence against Yeom and urges the prosecution to reopen the case. As a counterattack, Yeom says on camera that his “friend,” the chairman of Daesan, has dementia, and Dongju’s taking advantage of his condition. Yeom also promises to bring evidence of Chairman Cha’s dementia. This leads to Cha getting too angry and having a cardiac arrest. Seonu’s the one who lifts him up on his back. Turns out it was Seonu’s mom who gave Yeom the evidence he needed in return for him supporting Seonu taking over (tsk tsk, lady doesn’t know he’ll eat them up in one go).
Dongju finally meets with the Chairman after he’s doing much better, and it turns out it was a stress-related issue. Chairman Cha worries that if Yeom’s allies come together, it will be over for Daesan, but Dongju suggests they make a tender offer (I know, complicated sounding, but this would basically allow the Chairman to buy all the shares he needs). Dongju tells the Chairman he doesn’t know what he’s going to do with the 2 trillion won, but he knows some people who want to invest in Daesan Energy.
At this moment, the Chairman asks Dongju to thank Seonu for taking him to the hospital at the right time. At first, when he talks about it, it’s different to have been carried on Taeyun’s back and Seonu’s because the latter is his own son, but it seems the Chairman is trying to tell Dongju that he should try to take over the company after he’s dead because he’s done a lot for it. I suppose the Chairman sees Dongju as his own son, but what he wants now is for Dongju to help Seonu. Dongju then goes to Madam Pi for funds for the tender offer. She and her daughter agree to help out. When the Chairman realizes that he’s really losing his mind after not recognizing Choi, he decides to go to the police about what happened to Ildo, i.e., with proof against Yeom, which he claims he wants to give out before his dementia takes over. But unfortunately, this also doesn’t work, thanks to one of the Elder’s inside men.
At the end of Buried Hearts episode 15, Dongju injects Yeom with something to make him unconscious and drives him off to some secret place. We hear in a voiceover that the man’s been missing for 3 days and that the investigation against him has been suspended. Since Yeom is so hard to have arrested, Dongju took up the task himself. In the preview, we see that Dongju becomes the CEO of Daesan Energy, and Yeom is still missing, but we know he’s alive because Dongju will show him what he’s achieved despite Yeom coming in his way at every step. I mean, revenge is cool and all, but what’s the point is all I want to know. It would be realistic if Eunnam and Dongju don’t end up together, but I have a feeling they will, even if it means Dongju isn’t his old self. I guess Seonu isn’t as important a character as I first imagined, because he’s not even in the preview, but he’s definitely going to do something in the final episode, so we’ll just have to look forward to that.
