Life normalizes for Eunsoo and Bitna as they tailor to their in-laws for approval.
Shine Brightly Eunsoo Episode 74 RECAP
Bitna hides her “sprained”/”broken” arm against the door and hunches over. Eunsoo notices Bitna and asks why she’s up. Bitna quickly runs into her room whispering that she’s going back in.
The next morning, Soohyun continues his attack. He texts Grandma Choi first wishing her a good morning and noting that Bitna already went in to shower. Grandma Choi smiles that Soohyun is learning.
Over the breakfast table, Soohyun places food on Bitna’s rice bowl for her to eat. Sooho sees and quickly gives some to Eunsoo. Sunyoung does not miss a chance to grumble about losing her son. She sniffs that she went through all the trouble of raising sons only for them to indulge their wives… Because, you know, in Sunyoung’s mind, a mom raises her son to get something out of it and not out of inherent motherly love.
Sweet Eunsoo perpetuates this social custom by quickly thanking her mother-in- law for raising a wonderful son. She also places some of the side dish on Sunyoung’s rice bowl. Mr. Yoon smiles and announces that Sunyoung must be happy that she’s reaping the benefits of raising a son right and the family laughs.
Eunsoo goes to work where her coworkers continue to vie for her favor. Hyuna left her a cup of coffee with a note and smiles when Eunsoo looks up. Team Leader Lee also left Eunsoo small candies in her drawer with a note to munch on them when she gets tired. Only the youngest coworker has no idea that Eunsoo is part of her boss’ family.
Meanwhile, Grandma Kim stops by the dry cleaners to find Yeonmi going through the day as a zombie. She comforts Yeonmi that Eunsoo lives in the same city so Yeonmi should be able to see her daughter more often.
At the same time, Eunsoo stops Bitna in the hallway to ask that Bitna come with her for grocery shopping. Bitna complains that she cannot due to her arm and walks off.
Then we get some more mysterious light into Hyunshik’s family. His sister sent clothes for the kids, which they eagerly try on. Hyunshik thanks his sister and tells her that she does not have to continue sending such gifts. His sister answers that it’s her choice and reminds Hyunshik that the kids are legally her children. What? Are they not his kids but his sister’s?
Eunsoo continues to act unprofessionally at work by announcing that it’s 6pm and she wants to leave even though the others are still working. Jieun asks if Eunsoo is taking after Sooho in acting out. But Team Leader Lee and Hyuna quickly take Eunsoo’s side with Tram Leader Lee telling everyone to leave quickly instead of staying late for no reason.
So, Eunsoo leaves to buy all the ingredients for Sunyoung’s birthday brunch by herself and Bitna leaves with Soohyun’s car. Bitna is in such a good mood that she can take off her fake cast and go home, she blasts Kpop while singing and dancing along.
Eunsoo finishes her shopping and crosses an intersection presumably near the house where Bitna is stopped at the light. Eunsoo looks over and sees Bitna dancing with both arms and pauses.
Bitna doesn’t see Eunsoo at first and dances for a few more seconds before she registers that the girl in front is Eunsoo. Bitna ducks under the steering wheel and quickly puts on her cast.
Cue Bitna and Eunsoo walking into the house together with the groceries. Sunyoung worries about Bitna over exerting herself while Soonjung blames it all on Eunsoo biting off more than she can handle alone. In trying to attack Eunsoo, Soonjung ends up attacking Sunyoung by sniping that it’s not a good thing to be getting so old. Sunyoung accepts the fight immediately since patience and grace is not her strongest characteristics…leaving Bitna and Eunsoo looking awkward as Sunyoung and Soonjung snap at each other viciously.
Eunsoo calls Bitna up to their room to speak privately. Bitna comes in unrepentant and asks if Eunsoo is going to tell the others. Eunsoo just asks with another question of if Bitna hates her so much that she keeps lying. Bitna sniffs that she offered to pay for a hotel celebration but Eunsoo forcefully volunteered them into this. She announces that Eunsoo can tell the others if she wants.
Bitna only gets a few steps towards the door when she stops after Eunsoo threatens to tell Soohyun. Eunsoo smirks and orders that Bitna help out with the cooking preparations without another complaint and she won’t tell the others.
As for our older love line, Grandma Kim inadvertently reminds Yeonmi of Jaewoo when Grandma Kim prepares tea with the gift from Jaewoo. Yeonmi is unable to do anything other than fall back into bed and hold down her tears… Meanwhile, Jaewoo comes home to find Grandma Choi ironing his handkerchief from Yeonmi and coldly snatches it from her.
Back at the Yoon residence, Eunsoo prepares most of the dishes while tasking Bitna to cook seaweed soup. When Eunsoo checks in, she sees that Bitna used too much soy sauce instead of salt and impatiently snaps at Bitna to move to the side so Eunsoo can fix it.
It’s at this point that Soohyun comes into the kitchen. He pointedly asks if Bitna’s arm does not hurt and then tells Eunsoo off for making Bitna work when she’s hurt. Eunsoo is unable to say anything since Bitna is “higher” than her in the family hierarchy and Bitna gets to go up and rest.
Grandma Kim calls Eunsoo to tell her that Yeonmi isn’t feeling energetic. She asks if Eunsoo can stop by… Eunsoo apologizes that the next day is Sunyoung’s birthday and promises to drop by within the next couple of days…
After Eunsoo hangs up, she pauses as she fights back tears thinking she never prepared the birthday meal for her own mother. She declares that she will for sure prepare her mom’s birthday meal this time around. (DF- Just saying, this is why expecting the daughter-in-law to do what the sons are clearly not doing is a rude, ignorant remnant of a chauvinistic culture. I don’t see Soohyun and Sooho cooking for Sunyoung even though Sooho is training to be a chef! Why is it expected that Eunsoo and Bitna cook and clean?)
The next morning, the Yoon family is ecstatic and happy because Eunsoo fit right into the role of indentured servitude. The family wakes up to find the dining table overloaded with home cooked dishes and a cake. They praise Eunsoo for doing a great job toiling away while everyone else rested.
Then Mr. Yoon surprises Sunyoung as well. He asks her to pull out a coat for him. But, when Sunyoung opens the closet, she finds a bouquet of flowers! Mr. Yoon smiles and pulls her in for a hug wishing her a happy birthday.
While the parents are having a romantic moment in the room, the rest of the family eats fruit in the living room. Sooho asks about Bitna and is told by Soohyun that she’s resting. He decides that since Eunsoo is cleaning up, the least that Bitna can do is hang out with the rest of the family.
So, Sooho goes upstairs to call Bitna down. When Bitna heads Sooho knocking, she panics because she was resting with her cast off and only had seconds to put it back on before Sooho might walk in…She opens the door within a couple of minutes with the cast on the wrong arm.
Bitna does not realize it at first and she raises the wrong arm to feel her own forehead…As she’s doing it, she realizes her mistake and runs back into the room shouting that she will be right down.
Sooho turns to walk off wondering about Bitna’s weird behavior. He takes a few steps and then pauses thinking about which arm Bitna had hurt…
Bitna comes downstairs with the cast on the right arm but Sooho’s suspicious. He pretends to take a piece of lint off her cast while putting on a fake hug left at the restaurant earlier. Bitna spots the fake bug and freaks out shaking her “hurt” arm furiously in front of everyone.
MY TWO CENTS
