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Things wrap up for our characters whose past eventually catches up to them. There’s no more hiding and there’s no more secrets. It’s time to come clean about everything. Just how exactly will our characters respond to the adversity and challenges that come their way? How will they bounce back from it through it all?

Castaway Diva Episode 11: Giver vs. Taker

A news article about Ran-joo and Mok-ha is released and the two talk in private to address the situation. Left behind in the living room is CEO Lee and Manager Park. CEO Lee informs someone on the phone about Ran-joo’s termination form. Though he claims that it was all Ran-joo’s doing, Manager Park doesn’t feel that great about it. Later on that night, Mok-ha joins Woo-hak who’s eating alone at the Han River. She keeps her promise and sits next to him as he eats and offers her some tips and tricks on press conferences. Mok-ha and Ran-joo will be hosting a press conference to address the news article and to come clean once and for all.

It’s the day of the press conference and Mok-ha is nervous. Manager Park is greeted by the writer behind the news article and later points him out to CEO Lee before the press conference. Another press conference reminds Ran-joo of when she had one more than a decade ago to answer questions about a gambling scandal she was once involved in. She provides Mok-ha with some advice and then the two head onto the stage to start. Ran-joo goes first by confessing about the shares and the contract she signed with CEO Lee about the 20 million albums. Mok-ha goes next by claiming that she pushed Ran-joo to sign the contract because she was a naive fan who just wanted the best for her idol. She wanted Ran-joo to continue to be a singer, to continue to be acknowledged, and to not be perceived as a risk to her agency. The two take questions from journalists and reporters in the audience with the final question being if Ran-joo assumes the day she’ll return to being a successful singer will arrive. It’s obvious that Ran-joo’s lost hope and she admits no. She doesn’t see that day ever coming.

After the press conference, CEO Lee, Ran-joo, and Mok-ha all check for news articles. The infamous journalist behind the news article joins them shortly afterwards and again, nothing good comes out of the interaction. Ran-joo and Mok-ha learn that the journalist only wrote the article because he overheard CEO Lee talking about it in the first place. It was CEO Lee who started it. CEO Lee catches up with Ran-joo who had stormed away in anger. She’s upset. So CEO Lee was the one who thought Ran-joo was a risk to his agency? She was the one who helped uplift his agency to what it is today. But CEO Lee defends himself. It’s true that Ran-joo’s impact has lessened over the years. Even investors agree with him. What can he do about it?

Manager Park drives Ran-joo and Mok-ha back home after the press conference. Ran-joo’s feeling down and it only gets more challenging when she receives a phone call from the staff at her mother’s nursing home. They take a detour to the nursing home and on the way there, Mok-ha shares with Ran-joo how Ran-joo got her name. Ran-joo’s mom was an aspiring singer herself. However, she had to give up on her dreams because she became pregnant with Ran-joo. Since her stage name was Ran-joo, Ran-joo’s mom decided to give her daughter that name. When Ran-joo reunites with her mom at the nursing home, she feels guilty. Her mom’s dreams were cut short because of her. But Ran-joo’s mom feels otherwise. She’s grateful for Ran-joo. Ran-joo’s heart breaks even more when she admits that she doesn’t remember the lyrics to one of the songs that her mother used to sing to her when she was still a child. Mok-ha watches nearby in the room and is close to crying upon watching the mother-daughter interaction.

Back at home, Woo-hak reads news articles about Mok-ha and Ran-joo’s press conference. Many of the articles don’t have so many nice things to say about the two ladies and he grows upset. He also suggests that maybe Bo-geol reaches out to Mok-ha to check up on her but Bo-geol refuses. He doesn’t want to cause any further harm or damage to Mok-ha’s life. So Woo-hak secretly meets up with Mok-ha to update her on him and his family’s situation but their conversation is cut short by Bo-geol. Bo-geol drives Mok-ha back to her place and attempts to end things between them. There’s no knowing what’s going to happen to him and his family so it’s probably better that they aren’t seen together, especially since Mok-ha’s preparing for her debut. But Mok-ha won’t give up on Bo-geol. Just like him, she still has feelings for him. Just like she mentioned she would 15 years ago, she’ll take care of him. So Mok-ha will do just exactly that and look out for Bo-geol. She’ll stay strong and Bo-geol will do what he has to do to protect him and his family.

When Mok-ha arrives home that night, she’s inspired to write some lyrics. Meanwhile, Dae-woong and Young-ju are fortunately reunited after a frightening and scary 4 months. Dae-woong is alive (thank goodness!). While visiting her mom, Ran-joo still feels guilty after learning the truth behind her mom’s dreams of becoming a singer. Ran-joo’s not so sure what song she plans on singing for her upcoming concert. Daddy and Mommy Kang prepare to head out to the prosecution office. Daddy Kang is confident and certain that he has no regrets. He would still do the same thing and follow Mommy Kang out that door just like he did many years ago (omg this makes me want to cry! I love these two so much!).

So Bo-geol and his family as well as Ki-ho’s father arrive at the prosecution office for a cross-examination. Daddy Kang attempts to take all responsibility for everything but Mommy Kang comes clean. She and Bo-geol also knew about the identity theft and it wasn’t just Daddy Kang who was in on it. The prosecutor then brings up Ki-ho’s father’s stalking and all the chaos and pain he’s caused his family. From the domestic abuse to the recent visit at the salon, he scared Bo-geol and his family. Unlike Daddy Kang who’s protecting his family, Ki-ho’s father is pressing charges to punish his family for their actions. There’s a huge difference between the two fathers.

It’s Woo-hak and Bo-geol’s turn to be cross-examined by the prosecutor with their father. The prosecutor brings up the insurance policy that Ki-ho’s father bought from Dae-woong and the conversation quickly pivots to Dae-woong’s car accident. Dae-woong got injured in the car accident after meeting with Ki-ho’s father which causes Ki-ho’s father to panic. Since Woo-hak covered the story about Dae-woong’s accident for his job, he’s been up to date with the details and he even suggests that they reach out to Dae-woong for a statement. So they do just exactly that now that Dae-woong is awake. Dae-woong and Young-ju give their statement over the phone to the prosecutor and Dae-woong recollects his last conversation with Ki-ho’s father as well as his last memories before he got into the car accident. Plus, there’s video evidence that it was Ki-ho’s father who put the hornets into Dae-woong’s car. It all leads to Ki-ho’s father. Bo-geol ends the cross-examination by adding that his stepfather had no other choice but to commit identity theft in order to protect them. There was no other way out.

After the cross-examination concludes, the family of four exit the building together but they’re shortly greeted by Mok-ha who greets them outside with some umbrellas. After sharing a warm hug with Mommy Kang, the group prepares to leave together. But they quickly notice Ki-ho’s father standing outside in the rain by himself so Mommy Kang walks over to hand him her umbrella before walking away. Ki-ho’s father watches as Mommy Kang walks back to join her family.

Preparations are put into place for Ran-joo’s “concert” for her mother. With her mother watching, Ran-joo sings the song that Mok-ha wrote the other night. Ran-joo’s mother is moved to tears. She imagines the younger version of herself sitting on that stage with the guitar in her hands. She’s the one who’s singing the song up on the stage. Ran-joo’s mother is moved to tears upon watching the performance. Ran-joo and Mok-ha share another heartfelt moment after the performance. Mok-ha expresses further appreciation and gratitude for Ran-joo; she now knows what type of singer she wants to be. She wants to be just like Ran-joo. And for Ran-joo, she realizes that she can’t give up on singing. How could she after learning the truth about her mother’s sacrifices?

Clips of Ran-joo’s performance are shared and sent to several people, including the infamous journalist behind the news article as well as CEO Lee. While visiting her mother, Ran-joo reads titles of news articles highlighting positive things about Ran-joo which warms her mother’s heart. Ran-joo’s mother feels happy hearing good things being written about her daughter. And she also feels at peace to leave. Mok-ha and Manager Park assist Ran-joo in cleaning out her mother’s room at the nursing home. Ran-joo is heartbroken and she doesn’t feel so great knowing about the sacrifices that her mother had to make for her. Did her mother have a happy ending? Mok-ha reassures Ran-joo that her mother’s story hasn’t ended. Ran-joo’s the only one who can complete it. 

Bo-geol and his family as well as Ki-ho’s father finally receive an update from the prosecutor’s office. While Mok-ha heads out to reunite with the family, Manager Park and Ran-joo stay behind to finish cleaning her mother’s room. There, they open up a desk drawer that contains her mother’s diaries and old letters. But there’s also a brown envelope with an overseas export invoice document inside. The invoice contains the number of Japanese albums that Ran-joo sold a while back. If you count those numbers and add it to the rest of Ran-joo’s album sales, it’s clear that Ran-joo hit the 20 million album mark a long time ago. Did CEO Lee purposely leave this information out and hide it from everyone? Uh-oh.

Mok-ha reunites with Bo-geol and his family back at home to celebrate with them. The family wasn’t charged with anything due to a lack of evidence. They can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Afterwards, Mok-ha spends some alone time with Bo-geol on the rooftop and the two share not only a warm hug but also many sweet kisses. It seems as if things are shaping up for them. Maybe – just maybe – they can all finally live peacefully.

But Ki-ho’s father isn’t so happy and thrilled with his result from the prosecutor’s office and he’s determined to take Bo-geol’s family down with him. To celebrate the good news, Bo-geol and his family, Mok-ha, Dae-woong, and Young-ju all decide to throw a party. While Bo-geol, Mok-ha, and Mommy Kang stay behind at the house to catch up with the middle school classmates, Woo-hak and Daddy Kang go out to buy a cake. It’s getting late and the father and son pair share an umbrella while walking back home. It’s a busy night and there’s tons of other people also walking out and about with their umbrellas. And maybe that’s why Woo-hak and Daddy Kang don’t notice Ki-ho’s father who stabs Daddy Kang with a knife while walking past them. Ki-ho’s father manages to slip away while Woo-hak panics in fear as his dad bleeds heavily from the stab wound. He cries for help while holding his father in his arms in the pouring rain. Laying nearby is the celebratory cake that Woo-hak and his dad purchased with a message that says “I will always love you” written on the top.