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At the beginning of Thirty-Nine's premiere episode, a funeral (that is set to take place soon) is hinted at. In the second episode, it becomes clear that the friend who will lose her life is none other than Chan-young (Jeon Mi-do). The episode builds up to this revelation slowly but surely, starting with the three friends (Mi-jo, Chan-young, and Joo-hee) heading out for a complete body check-up. This is when the truth about Chan-young's medical condition is revealed to Mi-jo.
This episode of Thirty-Nine begins on a light note. Mi-jo (Son Ye-jin) realizes that the doctor she had been planning to hire to take her place during her year-long sabbatical is none other than Sun-oh (Yeon Woo-jin). The two of them spend a night together, which makes this professional meeting awkward for her, but hilarious for him.
Will Mi-jo hire Sun-oh despite their history in Thirty-Nine?
Mi-jo is desperate to find her replacement as soon as possible in Thirty-Nine because she believes that she is in need of a break. She is desperate to go to California, so she decides to hire Sun-oh after making one thing clear.
She states that their relationship (the romantic and physical aspect of it) will need to be forgotten. She also explains that they need to start from square one as colleagues.
Sun-oh agrees to her terms, but he seems certain that their ground rules might not work for too long. In fact, during the episode, Mi-jo's friends set her up on an unintentional date with Sun-oh.
He appreciates it, and Mi-jo also finds it charming, but she reminds herself that she will not be in the country for too long, and pursuing anything at this point would not be smart. While she does her best to make smart choices, her friend Chan-young is doing her best to make the right choices as well.
Chan-young breaks up with Jin-seok in Thirty-Nine
After years of waiting on the sidelines for her first love Jin-seok, Chan-young decides that it is time for her to draw a line. They did not have an affair but they are clearly in love. The intensity of their feelings doesn't let either of them create distance, but Chan-young seems to be a changed person when she finally has the hard conversation with Jin-seok. She first gives him the choice of divorcing his wife, but it is clear that he is not ready for this, or rather, he is not ready to put his son through the ordeal. Upon hearing this, she breaks up with him.
In hindsight, however, this decision in Thirty-Nine seems to have been more influenced by her medical diagnosis. The results of her full-body medical check-up are in. From the conversation that Mi-jo's doctor friend has with her, it is clear that Chan-young has been informed of her diagnosis. She is suffering from terminal stage 4 cancer, and her chances of survival are slim to none.
Shockingly enough, the show doesn't allow its audience to hope to see her survive the struggle. Instead, they show Chan-young's funeral taking place in the present. This, of course, means that the show will be more about the three friends' journey as they get ready to bid one of them goodbye. This is a journey worth waiting for, as the show oscillates between the past and present.
