Hwang In Youp finally confessed his feelings to Jung Chae Yeon after 10 long years on JTBC’s Family by Choice, stirring viewers with his long-awaited declaration.
In episodes 9 and 10, which aired on November 6th, the series explored the touching reunion of Kim San Ha (Hwang In Youp), Yoon Joo Won (Jung Chae Yeon), and Kang Hae Joon (Bae Hyeon Seong) as adults, rekindling old ties and unspoken feelings.
In episode 9, the characters faced bittersweet partings. Kim San Ha, determined to go to Seoul, promised Yoon Joo Won, who tearfully asked him not to leave, “I’ll never leave you again when I come back.” Meanwhile, Kang Hae Joon, heading to the U.S., gifted Joo Won, a candy lover, with sweets bought with all his allowance.
A decade later, the two brothers returned to Haedong, just in time for Joo Won’s birthday. Their reunion took an unexpected turn when Kang Hae Joon was mistaken for a burglar at Joo Won’s bakery, leading to a comical reunion at the police station with all five family members. Despite the warm reunion, Joo Won’s cold reception shocked them all, as she expressed her disappointment over their faded connection and drew boundaries with them.
In episode 10, Kim San Ha settled in as a resident at Myeongju University Hospital, while Kang Hae Joon raised questions as he scouted properties in Haedong with a real estate agent despite his somewhat shabby appearance. The plot thickened when the two moved in next door to Joo Won and her now-lawyer roommate Park Dal (Suh Ji Hye).
The whole family gathered to celebrate Joo Won’s birthday, where it was revealed that Kang Hae Joon had abandoned his basketball dreams due to a leg injury in the U.S. Overcome with emotion, Yoon Jung Jae (Choi Won Young) embraced him with tears, reflecting on the pain Hae Joon endured abroad.
In the meantime, Kim San Ha’s feelings for Joo Won began to surface—he waited outside her bakery after work to walk her home and questioned Yoon Joo Won’s old classmate Lee Joon Ho (Yoon Sang Hyun) about her relationship status. The episode ended with a heart-stopping moment as Kim San Ha, finding Joo Won on her way to a date, stopped her and said, “I like you. It took me ten years to tell you this.”
Family by Choice scored 2.9% nationwide for episode 9, while episode 10 increased to and 3.2%, according to Nielsen Korea (paid households).
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