Vanna White was the first thing that came into my mind when I read the title of this episode. She was the co-host of the American game show “Wheel of Fortune”, and her job consists of smiling for the camera, turning the letters on the giant puzzle board, and clapping to encourage the contestants. I believe she’s on the Guinness Book of World Record for “Most Numerous Claps.” Anyway, enough of that tidbit.

Here’s what we know about the “Wheel of Fortune” tarot card.

DH: “Wheel of Fortune”?
Staff: This card usually symbolizes a reunion.

DH: I need more details.
Staff: While our fortune may repeat itself under heaven’s plan and design, the direction in which it moves depends on man’s will and wit. That’s what it means.

Pay attention to these two things that could change DoHee’s fate and fortune: a man’s will and wit. 😂😂

DH: Uh. What does this Roman numeral mean?
Staff: This is the tenth card. Number ten is a completion, symbolizing both the end and a new beginning.
DH: “The end and a new beginning”?

Note: Since I don’t believe in numerology, astrology, divination, feng shui, palm-reading, fortune cookies, tarot cards, and such other mumbo-jumbo, I’m relying on the show to impart the correct interpretation of the “Wheel of Fortune” card.

At any rate, here are the times when I saw the direction of Do DoHee’s wheel of fortune changed according to the “will and wit” of the MAN of the hour, Jung GuWon. He’s no longer a demon, right? He’s a man.

1. The first change of direction happened when GuWon grabbed her then cushioned her fall with his back to the wall.

This isn’t the first time he’s taken the brunt of the fall for her. I pointed it out in Episode 1 when they fell off the side of the road into the water. Although she fell in first, he managed to get under her, so he took the impact of their bodies hitting the water. We all know on this blog that when the director repeats the same visual over and over, then it must be significant.

At this very moment, DoHee’s “wheel of fortune” changed direction because of GuWon’s will (i.e., strong determination to reach her side) and wit (i.e., quick thinking to protect her).

Noteworthy: Although DoHee’s phone sent out an Emergency SOS to two men, GuWon and SeokHoon, it was GuWon who got to her first.

And that made all the difference.

How?

a. He realized how he nearly lost DoHee.

Since he used to be a powerful demon, he never needed to invoke a Supreme Being for aid or protection like he did here. He was running up the stairs, he made a desperate plea. He said, “Do DoHee! Jebal.”

In Netflix, “Jebal” was translated as “please” which was correct but…. it didn’t adequately convey the intensity of emotion behind that request.

He wasn’t simply saying, “Please,” like in “Please pass me the salt” or “Please turn to page 314.”

He was pleading, “Do DoHee! Jebal!” like he was imploring the gods, “Do DoHee. Oh, god please!” or “Do DoHee! For chrissake!”

This was as close to a prayer that he could get, being an ex-demon.

That’s why the faint smile he gave her while he was hanging on the railing is more than fan service to the actor’s fan.

Despite how restrained his smile was, it signified relief, gratitude, and jubilation that he got to her in the nick of time.

b. Not only did he witness DoHee’s terror, he felt it.

Previously, as a demon, he was immune to these feelings. As I mentioned earlier, he was now attuned to her feelings, but it would take some time for him to sort them all out. Especially because his feelings had been frozen like a “200-year-old ice cream that’s been forgotten at the bottom of a freezer.”

GW: Do DoHee? Are you okay?
DH: (realizing they were safe, she embraces him and sobs)

GW: (puts his arms around her) It’s okay. It’s all over now.
DH: (sobbing still)
GW: (patting her back in comfort)

Typically, this display of overwhelming emotion would have disconcerted him. Now, he knew what to say and what to do to comfort DoHee.

Sidenote: The actress Kim YooJung sure does cry prettily.

c. He made a decision that it wouldn’t happen to her again.

Patting her on the back was also a milestone for this demon-turn-human. In this kdrama, patting on the back is more than a sign of comfort and empathy.

To me, it meant acceptance. He was finally accepting his future role in her life as her Pokemon. 😂 Like in the original children’s role-playing game, GuWon had accepted his fate as DoHee’s monster whom she was training and developing to fight other monsters in her life.

He wasn’t going to allow DoHee to suffer through that terror of death again.

Just like what the tarot card would indicate, this meant an end to his resistance and the beginning of his active participation and intervention in her life.

Found some gifs!

source: ingukk’s tumblr

d. Lastly, DoHee’s “wheel of fortune” changed direction simply because it was GuWon, rather than SeokHoon, who got to her side first.

Because he came first, DoHee IMPRINTED on him. By imprinting, I mean she came to believe that GuWon was indeed her savior and the person she could trust above anybody else in times of crisis and emergency.

Moreover, SeokHoon had to watch this emotional “reunion” between GuWon and DoHee. As he stood there observing the oblivious couple, he knew that he must end his same-old, tepid pursuit of DoHee, and begin a new and more engaged campaign to win her.

That’s how this episode introduced its “wheel of fortune” theme.

2. The second time DoHee’s wheel of fortune changed direction was when GuWon proposed marriage to her.

To me, DoHee’s “wheel of fortune” changed direction because of GuWon’s will (i.e., strong determination not to let SeokHoon get the girl) and wit (i.e., quick thinking to barge in and offer his hand, too). She was almost about to accept SeokHoon’s proposal but then GuWon interrupted their tête-à-tête on the balcony. He managed to upset SeokHoon’s plan and confuse DoHee. She didn’t know which direction to take.

Should she reject GuWon or settle for SeokHoon?

Remember now:  from the moment she saw GuWon, she was instantly attracted to him. She only dismissed him as a “handsome nutjob” after they got off on the wrong foot. But her impression of him changed when he rescued her from the flying cake. She reassessed her opinion of him, and decided that he was “cold but kind, innocent yet sexy. His whole existence exudes sensuality.”

Clearly, she favored GuWon. But since SeokHoon represented family to her, she couldn’t outright reject him.  It would be like devaluing their years of close ties. She had to have a good reason to reject him other than “oppa-zoned!” 

But let’s me make a detour here. GuWon and SH’s dialogue deserved a second look so let me transcribe it and explain how I understood it.

GW: (keeping the door ajar so he could hear if DoHee’s in trouble)
SH: Mr. Jung. You two are hiding something from me. How did you save Dohee? She was hanging from the railing, but how did you end up on the stairs—

Red flag here. Why is he interested in this? Shouldn’t he be conferring with GW about DoHee’s previous attacker, similarities/differences in the attacker’s M.O., and ways to keep her safe moving forward? He was more peeved that HE was being kept in the dark about DoHee’s rescue than he was concerned about her apartment was broken into.

GW: If you’re so curious, ask her yourself.
SH: I’m asking you because she won’t tell me.
GW: Then I’m sure she has her reasons.
SH: DoHee has been on her own since she was a kid so she’s independent and keeps her problems to herself. That’s why she’s refusing to tell me. But I must know exactly what she’s going through.

Another red flag here. What did he mean by he “MUST KNOW exactly what she’s going through”? Instead of just inviting confidences and waiting for her to open up to him, he wanted to PRY into her affairs and to show her support in the way HE WANTED to show support. Creepy, selfish dude.

GW: And what gives you the right?
SH: I’m the only one on her side.

GuWon asked a good question. SH has no “right” to secret or confidential information about DoHee. DoHee has to personally give an explicit permission for SH to know her private information. Being by her side isn’t a reason.

GW: What do you even mean by being on her side?

Again, GuWon asked a good question. He personally didn’t know what humans meant by this expression because as a demon, he only showed up at the beginning of the contract and at the end of the contract, when he had to retrieve the soul. He didn’t know what it entailed to be on someone’s side as he had never done it before.

SH: I hurt when she hurts. And I’m happy when she’s happy.
GW: (looks pensive because he was beginning to understand that this was the way he felt about DoHee.)
SH: I can’t tell where I end and she begins. That’s what I mean.

This is when it registered with GuWon that by SH’s definition, he too was “being on DoHee’s side.”

SH: So, tell me what she’s hiding from me right now.

Nope! I can’t stress enough that there are confidentiality rules. He can’t be privy to her confidential information, merely based on their long-term connection, if she hasn’t expressed written or verbal consent. Lol. Just ask any American mother who has a college-aged child if she can access her child’s grades and/or medical records without her child’s authorization. That’s a nope, too.

GW: Don’t worry. You’re not the only one on her side.

Here’s why I like this dialogue.

First reason: Unknown to SeokHoon, he just taught GuWon an important lesson. Because GuWon had been a demon for 200-years, he had no use for the guidebook or manual (he left it on his shelf, right?) on how to navigate his human emotions. Despite the brevity of their convo, however, he was able to glean the basics on what it meant to be by somebody’s side.

That said, the irony is not lost on me that GuWon was learning what it meant to be on DoHee’s side from someone who had nefarious reasons to be by her side.

Second reason: Guwon won that argument. He blocked off SeokHoon’s demands and held his ground.

Third reason: Because of SeokHoon’s description of his feelings for DoHee, GuWon was able to make a credible “counteroffer” to SeokHoon’s marriage proposal to DoHee. He wasn’t merely talking through his hat or bluffing about marriage.

SH: (addressing DoHee) Don’t fight this dangerous battle by yourself anymore. DoHee-ya. Let’s get married. You don’t have to be alone. (extending a hand to her)
DH: (staring at him)
GW: (appearing out of nowhere) How about you marry me instead?

Lol. If looks could kill…. I can definitely feel SeokHoon’s anger here. No guy wants his proposal interrupted.

As far as GuWon was concerned, whatever emotions SeokHoon had for DoHee, he also felt for DoHee. For example, GuWon felt hurt when she was hurt and felt happy when she was happy. He couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.

Thus, for him, if SeokHoon could propose to her and promise her protection, then he too could do the same. Anything SeokHoon could do, he could do better because he was a demon. He could guaranteed a better outcome for DoHee’s survival than SeokHoon because of his supernatural powers.

Note: I like how the director shot this scene from different angles to set up the rivalry between the two.

3. The third time DoHee’s wheel of fortune changed direction, it was in the car with GuWon.

SeokHoon paid DoHee a visit to drop off flowers and follow up on his suit. (Hmm. How many here suspect that he had placed a listening device in that flowerpot?) To calm his jealousy and his nerves, GuWon guzzled coffee in the staff breakroom. He met SH on the way out and the two of them had another man-to-man talk in the rooftop.

GW: So you came here to see me, not Do DoHee?
SH: (noting that GuWon didn’t call her Ms. Do) What an equal business relationship! You get to address your employer so informally?
GW: Our relationship was personal before it turned professional.

This was true. They met on a blind date. What could be more personal than that?

SH: You turned her down. Why are you swaying her now?
GW: What I dislike is marriage, not Do DoHee.

True. She fascinated him, but he didn’t want to be in a relationship, especially a human relationship, with her.

SH: Don’t toy with her emotions. You know better than anyone how desperate she is right now.
GW: Unfortunately, I’m not fooling around either.

I like that SeokHoon had no idea how desperate DoHee was and how GuWon came into play because of her desperation.

Then, GuWon was called off to drive DoHee to her next appointment on her schedule.

GW: (taking his leave) Please excuse me. I’m busy.
SH: Remember your place as her bodyguard, and don’t cross the line.
GW: There’s no line I can’t cross.

True. As a demon, he crossed all lines; he did things that overstepped boundaries and were totally unacceptable. Had he stayed within the lines, he wouldn’t be a demon, but a saint. This was a good comeback.

In the car with DoHee, he had a chance to question her.

GW: Can I ask you something? Why did you save me and Ju SeokHoon as your emergency contacts?
DH: You’re my bodyguard, and SeokHoon oppa is like family.

A bit of clarification here: SeokHoon gave her no choice. In Episode 4, he asked for her phone and personally added his name to her emergency contact. He saved himself as “guardian” on her phone.

As for GuWon, after dropping her off at her apartment, he told her that he didn’t want her going out alone and getting in trouble. He ended it brusquely with, “So call me if you need me. Though I rather you didn’t.” He gave her a choice. But as soon as she got in, she added him to the list. She couldn’t find a pre-set description which applied to him. He was not her mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, friend, spouse, partner, and secretary. And “guardian” was already taken so she settled for “manager.”

DH: What about you? Why did you propose to me? You turned me down before at the speed of light.
GW: Why does everyone ask the same thing?

GuWon meant that even his own assistant BokGyu was also incredulous about his proposal after rejecting DoHee “at the speed of light.”

DH: (waiting for his answer)
GW: Just because. I don’t want you to die.

The marriage proposal had gone back and forth, like a pendulum, between GuWon and DoHee. She asked, he rejected. She asked again, he rejected again. Then, he asked; she vacillated.

But now the direction of the “wheel of fortune” had been set because of GuWon’s will (i.e., his commitment to keep her alive) and his wit (i.e., his ability to understand that it was not the appropriate time for glib and fatuous remarks. It was a time for honesty).

DoHee was persuaded to accept his proposal because of his sincere reply.

This moment was significant because it marked the end of the bodyguard-principal relationship and the beginning of their husband-wife relationship. Just like what the tarot card predicted. 

My comments:

a. They must have met in his past life because this marriage seems to be set up as a reunion between the two of them. I won’t waste my time speculating on this; we’ll know in good time.

b. If SeokHoon bugged DoHee’s apartment, they would need to be careful not to talk about GuWon’s powers.

c. I hope I don’t have to watch a henpecked demon.

4. The last time DoHee’s wheel of fortune changed direction in this episode was in the photo booth when they kissed.

For some reason, GuWon’s power couldn’t activate but he remembered their contract agreement, stipulating that “Both parties shall cooperate to achieve their goals.”

Sidenote: It annoyed me that the goals weren’t explicitly detailed. Did the subbers omit them? If I were representing GuWon or DoHee, I wouldn’t allow him/her to sign this contract because of its ambiguity. One or both parties may vary the terms or add provisos after the fact. It’ll be difficult to determine when the goals have been executed when the goals aren’t specified and defined at the start. Considering that both GuWon and DoHee were stickler for rules, I think this contract is an aberration. Anyway…

The kiss in this final scene is a gamechanger.

You see, right after the wedding, he refused to kiss her on the lips for the photographers who were waiting with their cameras to capture this moment. She had to remind him that they both agreed to act like an ideal couple in public. So kiss her, he must. He used his thumb to shield her mouth.

This time around, inside the privacy of the photobooth, with the camera timer going off, he didn’t hesitate to kiss her. See the difference that one night of married life made on him? lol.

DoGyeong was about to pull open the curtain and if he discovered them spying on him, then their goals — Dohee’s to find her assassin, GuWon’s to prevent her death — could possibly be derailed.

So kiss her, he must. But this time around, he didn’t use his thumb to shield her mouth. He kissed her as she was.

To me, this last scene demonstrated how GuWon’s will and wit could change DoHee’s fate. He was not one to shy away from a challenge or a tempting beauty like DoHee.