Sonamu is taken to a hair and makeup salon in the hotel basement. The staff compliment her neckline and straight shoulders and begin preparing her for the evening performance. Sonamu explains that she normally does not wear makeup and asks them not to make it too heavy. The staff tell her they will only even out her complexion and keep her lipstick subtle.
She learns that Chairman Kwon Ju-cheol is coming to the hotel that day, which explains why everyone is suddenly on high alert.
A cream-beige dress has also been prepared for her. Sonamu immediately notices that its color, material, and ankle-length design perfectly match her personal taste. She learns that the general manager brought it for her, almost certainly following Kwon Seung-jo’s instructions.
After changing, Sonamu realizes the dress fits her perfectly and looks surprisingly good on her. She feels irritated because Seung-jo apparently remembered both her measurements and her preferences.
When she leaves the changing room, two men in suits are waiting nearby. Before she can quietly walk past them, the taller man approaches and grabs her shoulder.
It is Kwon Seung-jo.
He jokingly accuses her of knowing exactly when and where to pretend not to know him. Sonamu reminds him that she promised they would act like strangers. Seung-jo looks her over and approves of the dress, but she tells him not to treat her like a doll. He points out that the dress is a designer brand.
Seung-jo notices that her shoulders look cold and asks an employee to find something for her to wear over it. Sonamu says she already has her own cardigan and questions why he arranged all this without asking her.
Seung-jo argues that the ten people she is about to meet will definitely recognize her, so she should at least avoid looking shabby. Sonamu sarcastically asks whether those people are really going to care what brand she is wearing.
Seung-jo casually compliments her again, saying she looks even prettier in designer clothes. Sonamu finds his behavior childish, takes her cardigan, and leaves the salon. Seung-jo follows beside her.
She realizes why she failed to recognize him earlier: his appearance is completely different from the morning. He is wearing a navy suit and wine-colored tie, has changed the way his hair is parted, and is wearing a new smartwatch from Seoryang Electronics. His outfit clearly seems chosen with Chairman Kwon in mind.
As they head toward the lobby, Seung-jo tells Sonamu to prepare songs that Chairman Kwon likes. If she does not know some of them, he advises her to play difficult classical pieces instead because his grandfather likes challenging music.
Sonamu worries about whether she can endure three days of repeatedly encountering Seung-jo.
The lobby is extremely tense because of Chairman Kwon’s arrival. Employees stand stiffly at their positions, and several people approach Seung-jo with respectful greetings.
Sonamu separates herself from him and heads toward the lounge. There she sees Manager Han Ji-hee asking customers for their understanding because the lounge is operating only for the first part of the day due to internal circumstances. Some customers accept compensation in the form of breakfast vouchers, while others complain because they have come for a special occasion.
Sonamu quietly finds the set list at the counter. As Seung-jo warned, Chairman Kwon’s musical preferences are extremely demanding, with several notoriously difficult pieces on the list.
While Sonamu is preparing, she notices a couple who had been arguing with Manager Han. The woman appears startled when she sees Sonamu, while the man noticeably pulls his hand away from the woman’s.
Sonamu freezes.
She wonders whether the man could be Lee Jun-yeop.
She desperately wants to confirm it, but she is afraid of what will happen if she approaches him. Because of her prosopagnosia, she cannot identify him reliably by his face. She fears that the moment she hears him speak, however, she might recognize his voice immediately.
At that moment, Seung-jo notices that Sonamu’s lipstick has smudged. He approaches and carefully wipes the lipstick from the corner of her mouth with a tissue. His attention is deliberately focused on appearing like a stranger to everyone else, but Sonamu is too distracted by the possibility that the man nearby is Jun-yeop.
Seung-jo notices that she has gone pale and asks whether she is nervous.
His touch brings Sonamu back to reality. She takes his wrist and tells him she can handle it herself.
She then turns toward the couple.
The man’s identity becomes increasingly certain to her—not because of his face, but because of familiar details. She remembers how, as a child, she could recognize her mother from her footsteps and could identify a favorite basketball player from behind without seeing his number. She realizes once again that recognizing someone is not always about their face.
Seung-jo notices how pale she has become and asks again if she is nervous. Sonamu denies it.
Before leaving her, Seung-jo even wipes away the lipstick that has transferred onto his finger. He tells her that the song selection is suitable and reminds her to keep their agreement.
Sonamu warns him not to make mistakes.
She gathers several pieces of sheet music from her bag and walks past Lee Jun-yeop without acknowledging him.
But the details confirm her suspicion: the light sage scent of his perfume, the tie she spent hours choosing for his birthday the previous year, and even his hairstyle.
The moment she becomes certain that the man is Lee Jun-yeop, her body begins trembling uncontrollably.
Sonamu takes her place on stage and looks across the lounge. Because of her condition, most of the people appear as indistinct faces. The only people she can clearly identify are Seung-jo leaving the lounge, Lee Jun-yeop standing and looking toward her, and Manager Han Ji-hee happily waving at her.
Soon afterward, Seung-jo returns.
He enters the lounge with Chairman Kwon Ju-cheol, supporting the older man while accompanied by a large group of suited executives.
As they are shown to their seats, Sonamu places her fingers on the piano keys.
Despite the confusion in her mind, she has a contract to fulfill, so she begins playing.
Later, Chairman Kwon praises the restaurants Seung-jo took him to earlier that day, particularly the restaurant serving seafood soup. He asks whether the restaurant can be brought into the hotel.
Everyone immediately looks toward Seung-jo. Seung-jo gives the chairman the answer he wants and says he will look into it.
Chairman Kwon jokes that thanks to Seung-jo, he will be able to enjoy the food comfortably the next time he visits. He especially praises the fermented-rice-vinegar flavor of the restaurant’s food, saying that it is easy on his stomach and helps digestion.
The executives laugh and eagerly agree with the chairman, trying to please him.
Seung-jo smiles as well, but his attention briefly shifts toward Sonamu on stage.
As she moves her long, slender arms across the keyboard, the piano produces a clear and beautiful sound.
Seung-jo thinks about her background. She studied at the Paris Conservatoire but left before completing her degree. He remembers hearing that she had collapsed during the preliminary/final stage of a major international competition, an unusual incident whose footage still circulates online.
Chairman Kwon says he is glad he came down to Jeju.
Seung-jo promises to bring him again and find more good restaurants for him.
The chairman then gives the executives some advice: younger people are strongly influenced by others and are sensitive to how they are perceived. He says that although inexpensive things can be good, people increasingly want the best treatment even when it costs more. He warns them to stay alert and understand how times have changed.
Everyone agrees.
The first piece ends, giving Sonamu about a minute of rest. Chairman Kwon watches her drink water beside the piano and appears satisfied.
Strangely, Seung-jo feels his palms becoming sweaty.
Chairman Kwon tells him that the performance is excellent. Seung-jo explains that he selected music based on his grandfather’s preferences.
The chairman is amused that Seung-jo knows his tastes so well and asks whether his grandson really pays that much attention to him.
Seung-jo warmly calls him “Grandfather.”
Chairman Kwon says he would like to hear this kind of performance in Seoul as well. Seung-jo says that he intends to hire more experienced musicians for Seoul and organize small concerts featuring famous session musicians.
The chairman agrees that this is a good idea, but then makes his real demand clear.
He wants Sonamu herself to perform in Seoul.
Seung-jo immediately understands the implication.
His grandfather is effectively telling him that he intends to keep Sonamu—the person Seung-jo considers a dangerous “time bomb”—within his sight and under control.
It is presented as a request, but Seung-jo recognizes it as an order disguised as advice.
He suppresses his anger and answers with a practiced smile while drinking his coffee:
He will make the necessary arrangements.
