In episode 8 of “Thirty-Nine,” we saw Mi Jo find out about her biological mother through Joo Hee’s mother, who had known Mi Jo’s mother all along but never told her. However, Mi Jo’s real mother is a fraudster serving time in prison, which makes it clear why Mi Jo was never told about her. Chan Young has finally told her parents about her illness, and she has auditioned for a role in a film to complete her dream of becoming an actress. Seon Woo, Joo Hee, and Chan Young accompany Mi Jo to the prison where her mom is serving time. How did their first meeting go? Let’s find out.
See More: ‘Thirty-Nine’ Episode 7 & 8: Recap And Ending – Does Mi Jo Find Her Real Mother?
How Did Mi Jo Get Adopted Into Her Family?
Mi Jo is scared to visit her real mom alone. Her boyfriend and friends are waiting for her outside the prison in case Mi Jo gets a panic attack again. When Mi Jo sees her real mom for the first time in her prison uniform, she doesn’t know how to feel. She expected her mom to welcome her home warmly. It is awkward for Mi Jo as she goes through a lot of emotions at the same time. Mi Jo’s mom talks to her casually like they have known each other for a long time. Instead of asking Mi Jo how she is doing and talking about her life growing up, her mom keeps on talking about herself and asks Mi Jo about her profession.
Mi Jo does not feel like she is talking to her mother but a stranger. Her mother’s words lack affection and sincerity. Mi Jo loses her cool when her mother asks her if she has had double eyelid surgery. Mi Jo has had a double eyelid since birth, but her mother does not remember it. She leaves the prison and comes out crying. She tells her friends the details, but now she has a bigger task to do. She has to tell her family that she has met her biological mother. It is going to be difficult for her because her experience has not been good, but she has to tell them nevertheless.
Mi Jo’s family would visit her orphanage to spend time with the kids. Mi Jo used to spend most of her time alone doing origami. Mi Hyeon grew fond of Mi Jo and pleaded with her parents to adopt Mi Jo. Her parents agreed with her, but when they tried to talk to Mi Jo about going home with them, she asked them how many days they would keep her with them before sending her back to the orphanage. Mi Jo must have had previous experiences of families sending her back after adopting her. Mi Jo’s family assured her that she could stay with them for a thousand nights, over and over again, and if she wanted, she could live for as long as she wanted. Mi Jo agreed to go with them after she felt that she could trust them. She had lived with them for a long time, and she could always trust them. It’s only right that she tells them the truth right now.
What Is Joo Hee Worried About?
Mi Jo ended her visit with her mom abruptly, but now her mom knows her name and her profession. She finds Mi Jo’s clinic phone number and calls her. Mi Jo is uncomfortable talking to her and cuts the call midway. A strange man visits Mi Jo in the clinic and demands the money that her mom owes him. Mi Jo gets scared and realizes that she needs to talk to her parents as soon as possible. She takes her mom out for ice cream and tells her the truth. She wanted to ask her mom what she should do next, but she got a reply from her mom that she did not expect. For many years, Mi Jo’s birth mother has been in contact with her mom and has been taking money from them. They didn’t tell Mi Jo about it because it wasn’t something Mi Jo would feel proud of. Mi Jo feels upset that her adoptive parents suffered because of her biological mother. However, her mother advises her not to give them any money because once it starts, it never stops.
After Mi Jo’s upsetting experience with her birth mother, Joo Hee feels that everyone will blame her mother for telling Mi Jo the truth. She doesn’t know about the strange man yet, but finds out when she overhears her mom shouting at Mi Jo’s real mom over a phone call. When her mom refuses to tell Joo Hee, she meets Mi Jo to find out what has happened. Joo Hee has always been a sensitive person, and that’s why her friends have always been careful while talking about sensitive matters with her. However, Joo Hee has always felt left out because of this. Joo Hee tells Mi Jo that she has always been the last one to know about any important news. She demands that her friends trust her. She confesses to Mi Jo that she worries that their friendship might not be the same after Chan Young is gone. Mi Jo understands what Joo Hee is trying to say, and she will not let their friendship die so easily.
‘Thirty-Nine’ Episode 10: Ending – Chan Young Prepares To Say Goodbye
Chan Young gets the role of a reporter in a movie she had auditioned for. Jin Seok has become her manager, and her friends have come to the shooting set to support her. Chan Young is living her dream, and her friends couldn’t be happier. Although Jin Seok’s wife was not ready to divorce him, she agrees after Chan Young tells her about her illness. She had always known that Jin Seok loved Chan Young. She decides to let him go and live his final moments with the person he loved the most. However, she asks for a favor from Chan Young. She asks her to persuade Jin Seok to let their son live with her because she wants to try to become a better mother. Thanks to Seon Ju’s understanding, all the bitterness between them is over, and Chan Young can now spend time with Jin Seok without guilt.
Chan Young’s mom’s birthday is coming soon, and it is going to be special as it might be her last birthday that they spent together. Her parents have come over to Seoul to live with her and take care of her. Chan Young orders a special green tea-flavored cake that her mom likes with a special message on top of it. Before picking up the cake, Chan Young goes to buy a birthday present for her mom, but she collapses in the store and wakes up in a hospital. Though it is nothing serious, she wakes up after quite some time, and the cake shop has already closed. She calls her friends, crying to find a solution. This birthday and this specially customized cake are important to her. After thinking for a while, Mi Jo makes a plan to get the cake. Three of them break the glass window of the closed shop with cement blocks and get the cake. While Chan Young goes home to celebrate mom’s birthday, Mi Jo and Joo Hee report themselves to the police. Their video went viral on the internet, and people appreciated their friendship.
Everything has been going smoothly in Chan Young’s life. She is happy these days, but there are some things that she has to take care of before she dies. Her friends have banned her from talking about anything related to death. Now she only has Jin Seok with whom she can share her saddest thoughts. Chan Young takes Jin Seok to the Columbarium to book a spot for her after she dies. It is very difficult for her to get herself to do it, but she is doing it out of consideration for her parents. She doesn’t want her parents to find a funeral home for their own daughter when they would be going through a lot of pain. Chan Young prepares herself as death comes running towards her. She looks like the happiest, terminally ill person, as Mi Jo wants her to be. What will Chan Young’s last moments be like? The final episodes of “Thirty-Nine” will reveal further and give respective closure to the characters.
See More: ‘Thirty Nine’ Season 1: Ending Explained – Chan Young’s Warm Goodbye
