Heo Jun episode 18 The Lepers Temple
It’s time for another mentor to come into Heo Jun’s life as Dr Yoo is still not ready to forgive him. Heo Jun decides to go with the Monk, Min Se, to look after lepers in the mountain. This brings new challenges for him and he learns about the hardships of the lepers’ lives. There’s a nice surprise for him though when he is happily reunited with his old mentor Dr Ahn who tells him about Min Se’s troubled past.
Heo Jun gets on his knees and begs Dr Yoo to forgive him and he insists that now he finally knows why Dr Yoo sent him away – it’s not a letter that saves a doctor but the suffering of his patients. (or something like that) However, Dr Yoo still refuses to take him back. Da Hee cries when she sees his desperation. Heo Jun stays kneeling outside the hospital but Dr Yoo just walks by.
Heo Jun begs Dr Yoo to forgive him but he refuses.
Min Se has seen all this and Ye Jin asks him to take care of Heo Jun. So Min Se offers to let Heo Jun help him look after the lepers – if he really wants to become a doctor. But Heo Jun is still afraid – there’s no cure for leprosy yet and it’s thought to be infectious. Min Se tells him to come to Samjuk Temple if he changes his mind.
Heo Jun does change his mind and tells his family he is leaving to study at a temple. Da Hee supports him and promises that they will find a way to make a living on their own. His mum is upset at first but feels better when she hears that if he can become a royal doctor they can climb up the social ladder and stop hiding their identities. Ye Jin watches him leave and then falls sick. Dr Yoo claims it’s a sickness of the heart. Do Ji sits with her all the time but wonders if this has something to do with Heo Jun…(I think you’re right 😉 )
Heo Jun tells his family he is leaving and Ye Jin falls ill of ‘heart-break’
Heo Jun looks for the temple but no one has heard of it. He sees his old teacher meditating on the mountain but it seems it was just an illusion. Heo Jun spends the night on the mountain and in the morning suddenly gets attacked by lepers. Min Se turns up just in time and explains that the lepers are scared of him because they are used to being abused and hated.
It takes time for Heo Jun to get used to his new environment – the medicines are so stinky he feels sick and he’s still afraid of catching leprosy. But Dr Ahn his old mentor is there too! (so he is still alive! 🙂 ) And Heo Jun is pleased to see him.
Heo Jun struggles at the temple at first and one of the lepers tries to kill Min Se
But there’s tension between Min Se and one of the young lepers who angrily beats a drum all day long. One night he even tries to kill Min Se accusing him of killing his parents. Dr Ahn explains that Min Se was once a royal doctor on his way to the top. He married Dr Ahn’s sister and had a son, Sanghwa. All was going so well for him until his son went missing and the rumour was that there were lepers in the area …
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Although Heo Jun is the main character of this drama, I think that it’s really about his mentors too. Without them he would be nothing. And all Heo Jun’s mentors are top notch! So far they have all had some connection to the royal hospital! Min Se and Dr Ahn were royal doctors but now outcasts. Dr Yoo failed the state medical exam because he was ‘too good’ and a threat to the head doctor. He’s lucky to have such amazingly talented mentors. (I’m envious.)Their fall from grace is good for him though since he could never have met any of them if they were still at the royal hospital. It’s interesting to find out more about Min Se and his past and why he is where he is now. All the mentors have a story to tell!
