1.Teacher is there to care for young Jung-Hoo when he gets out of juvenile detention.  Teacher protects-Jung-Hoo by forcibly taking the fall for him.  (Though it was heartbreaking, it seems Teacher had to leave so the storyline could establish Healer’s aloneness and non-societal lifestyle.  I just wish that Teacher had given some explanation to place the burden on himself and not young adult Jung-Hoo.   Maybe something cryptic that Jung Hoo would remember and understand only later when Teacher died to protect him, but something that would verbally reinforce Teacher’s love for Jung-Hoo.)

2. Min-Ja Ajumma cares, guides, and protects Jung-Hoo.  She’s his de facto family.  She verses him in the proper way to toast to honor the dead.  She grieves Teacher’s death with him.  Only she can (matter-of-factly, with concern not criticism) point out what a great catch Young-Shin is and how he cannot even show his face.  She understands when he talks about the fake him and trying to find the real him.  Only Ajumma can stop him from carrying out his rage, first with words of  “your girl’s mother lives in that house”,  and then she mobilizes Moon-Ho to stop Jung-Hoo from killing when words couldn’t.  She directs Young-Shin to save injured Bong-Soo on the roof.  Ajumma is the only one that knows Jung-Hoo’s heart for Young-Shin and safely propels Young-Shin to rescue Jung-Hoo from his depressive seclusion. 

3. Young-Shin’s mom, Myung-Hee, instinctively protected Jung-Hoo by denying any recognition of him when Moon-Sik tried to trap Healer. Her love for Jung-Hoo was achingly beautiful when she first was able to greet him and hold his face.

4. Myung Hee was always there to comfort Moon-Ho, as a boy and as an adult. 

5. Though Young-Shin was eventually adopted by a mom and dad, we meet her with Coffee Ajusshi by her Dad’s side, and we see that she too had a village of uncles that cared for her.

6. Moon-Ho faithfully continued his caretaker samchyeon role and responsibility when he rediscovered Jung-Hoo and young-Shin as adults.  His pure protective love for them was heartfelt.

7. (and in her own way) Jung-Hoo’s mom gives up her son to protect him and leaves him in the care of his grandmother.

By Anaht