Bad-Memory Eraser: Episodes 13-14
Episode 13 of Bad-Memory Eraser kicks off with a major scandal as leaked photos spark rumors that Shin attempted to kill Gun. Desperate for answers, Gun and Hong demand the police investigate, but when they refuse, Gun raises the stakes—insisting they track Shin down for attempted murder.
Meanwhile, Shin receives a chilling voicemail from his stalker, threatening to release damning footage if Shin doesn’t come out of hiding. As this unfolds, Gun reviews the dashcam footage from the reunion night and uncovers a shocking truth: Shin didn’t try to hurt him. In fact, Shin jumped from the bridge, and Gun had risked his life to save him.
A flashback reveals the brothers’ heartbreaking confrontation that night. Their deep-seated resentment boils over as they argue about who has sacrificed more. As Gun walks away, Shin, overwhelmed by his own emotional turmoil, jumps from the bridge, forcing Gun to grab him in a desperate attempt to save him. In a tragic twist, Gun is injured while trying to hold onto his brother, and it's Shin who ends up saving him, tearfully blaming himself for everything.
Back at home, Mr. Lee confesses to Gun that his financial failures are the root of Shin's problems. To help the family, Shin had been pushing himself to take on exhausting jobs. As Gun processes this revelation, Ju-yeon quietly keeps tabs on him through Han, while Sae-yan searches for her estranged father—though her efforts seem to hit a dead end.
Ju-yeon suggests Sae-yan check on Gun, but Sae-yan questions her friend's motives. When Sae-yan finally finds someone claiming to know her father, the emotional reunion quickly turns into a nightmare. The man reveals he’s not her father but had been paid to play the part. Devastated, Sae-yan confronts her controlling mother, Mrs. Jeon, who had already submitted her resignation to "erase bad memories" from everyone's lives. This leads to a heated confrontation, where Sae-yan begs her mother to let her live her own life.
Meanwhile, Shin’s luck continues to spiral downward. Now stranded at the beach after losing his wallet to a group of delinquents, he’s forced to call Ju-yeon for help. Too embarrassed to ask for assistance, he hangs up—but Ju-yeon tracks his location. When the delinquents post his ID online, Gun rushes to the beach, determined to find his brother.
Ju-yeon reaches Shin first, offering comfort despite his belief that she's only there for Gun. In a vulnerable moment, Shin opens up about his struggles with self-harm and the emotional weight he’s carried for years. He thanks her for helping him feel alive again, while Ju-yeon encourages him to take small steps forward. Just as it seems Shin might find peace, Gun arrives and, misunderstanding the situation, storms off in frustration. Ju-yeon tries to explain, but Gun cuts her off, bitterly accusing her of being clingy—a cruel remark that cuts deep.
As the drama escalates, Han and Kim race against time to resolve the side effects of the memory-erasing trial. But Tae-oh, determined to perform the procedure on Gun, threatens to expose the risks if they don't cooperate. In a panic, Ju-yeon tries to warn Gun before it's too late, with Shin’s help.
The episode culminates in a tense moment at the tennis court, where Gun, lost in memories of Ju-yeon, is confronted by her once more. After a heated exchange, their unresolved feelings finally erupt into a kiss, leaving the audience on edge as the episode fades to black.
Episode 14 of Bad-Memory Eraser kicks off with Shin’s unexpected return home, setting the stage for tension. Meanwhile, Gun drops off Ju-yeon after a playful, flirty night, clearly reluctant to leave. Inside, Ju-yeon finds Sae-yan waiting, feeling bittersweet about leaving since everyone now feels like family. Ju-yeon contemplates revealing Gun's first love to her, but Sae-yan drifts off to sleep, leaving Ju-yeon with her secret.
Shin, cleared of all charges, shocks everyone by announcing he’s taking a year off. His mother is livid, reminding him he’s only 27 and has limited time left in his career. His father and Hong attempt emotional blackmail, but Shin stands firm. The only one supporting him is Gun, as the brothers patch things up—awkwardly, but sincerely. In a symbolic gesture, Shin deletes Ju-yeon’s photo from his phone, hoping to move on. Tired of his family's nagging, he storms out, yearning for peace.
At the Athlete’s Village, Shin’s absence stirs chaos. Shi-on, loyal to a fault, starts a fight defending Shin’s name, resulting in his expulsion. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Han makes a desperate play, ceding directorship to Tae-oh in a bid for more time. But Tae-oh is unrelenting, setting a date for the reset surgery just three days away. Ju-yeon scrambles to use Kim’s research to eliminate the side effects in time, but Tae-oh’s manipulative intentions become clear—he doesn’t care about the patients, just covering up the experiment’s failures. Ju-yeon calls him out, but his indifference stings: "You never cared about the patients either."
Gun, still determined to help Sae-yan find her father, uncovers a crucial clue in an old newspaper article. As they dig through archives, the discovery of her father’s photo brings joy—and a heartfelt hug of gratitude. But something else clicks for Gun: a detail about the stalker leads him to tell the police to run a DNA test on the mysterious saliva-sealed envelopes.
Sae-yan’s relief is short-lived. Upon returning home, she’s ambushed by Mrs. Jeon and her bodyguards. Pleading for help, she turns to Mrs. Kyung, only to be coldly rebuffed. Mrs. Kyung’s rage hides a deeper pain, and after Sae-yan leaves, she breaks down in tears. The tension escalates when a bike crashes in front of Mrs. Jeon’s car, creating a diversion. Sae-yan takes the chance to escape, and the biker—shockingly revealed to be her father—sweeps her away.
Father and daughter share a heartwarming reunion, full of laughter and nostalgia as they eat street snacks and buy flowers. But the joy turns sinister when a stranger bumps into them, and Sae-yan’s father, now suspicious, follows the stranger into a dark alley, wrench in hand. Something is clearly off.
As Ju-yeon frantically works on eliminating the reset side effects, Sae-yan calls to update her about her father. But the reunion takes a dark turn when the father grabs her phone, insisting they go off the grid to avoid the Jeons’ control. Sae-yan hesitantly agrees, still confused by her father's erratic behavior.
Meanwhile, Gun and Ju-yeon sneak in a spontaneous date—a lighthearted reprieve before the storm. For Gun, it’s their first date; for Ju-yeon, it might be their last, as she wrestles with the looming truth. Despite the bittersweet undertone, they flirt and laugh, sharing genuine moments. But as Ju-yeon hints at a future apart, Gun remains unaware of what’s coming.
In the final moments, Gun receives a call with shocking news: Shin’s stalker is Ahn Hyo-myeong, a notorious criminal with a history of violence and murder—Sae-yan’s biological father. As this revelation sinks in, the episode cuts to Hyo-myeong’s lair, where a disturbing collage of photos shows him obsessively watching Sae-yan, with Shin’s image violently crossed out. His satisfaction at Shin’s suspension only adds to the looming danger.
Back at the hospital, Tae-oh lures Gun to the operating room and locks him inside, revealing the truth: Ju-yeon wasn’t just his first love, but his experimenter all along. As Tae-oh spins his web of manipulation, he tries to turn Gun against both Ju-yeon and Han, offering Gun the chance to “reset” his life and forget the betrayals. Desperate, Han rushes to stop the procedure, but it’s too late. Gun, now clouded by doubt and anger, agrees to the reset surgery, setting the stage for an intense and heart-wrenching conclusion.
DramaZen's Opinion
Episode 13 of Bad-Memory Eraser could actually be a solid watch—if you can overlook the toxic romance between the main couple. In fact, if you start the K-drama at Episode 8 and pretend the earlier mess never happened, it becomes a heartwarming bromance centered on the tangled relationship between the Lee brothers, as they struggle to accept their complicated fate.
The problem? Ju-yeon. Despite the writers’ best efforts, her character has become irredeemable, which is tragic because she’s devolved from a female lead into nothing more than a prop to push everyone else's growth forward. Her development has stalled, leaving her more of an obstacle than a key player.
And let’s talk about Sae-yan’s family drama. It feels like the writers are intentionally overcomplicating things. It seems obvious her biological father is abusive, and her mother’s cryptic behavior is an attempt to protect her. So, why doesn’t Mrs. Jeon just come clean and tell Sae-yan the truth? The mystery is dragged out for no reason, keeping Sae-yan stuck in an endless search that could easily be resolved with honesty.
Then there’s the looming question: how is Ju-yeon tied to all of this? Mrs. Jeon has now mentioned twice that Ju-yeon is somehow involved, sparking speculation about whether she might be Sae-yan’s half-sister. Especially now that we know Ju-yeon’s father abandoned her, this connection feels inevitable, but painfully obvious.
And if Episode 13 had some redeeming points, Episode 14 promptly undoes them. Gun has practically recovered all his memories, so why on earth would he agree to a reset? Surely there are hospital rules that would prevent Tae-oh from manipulating a patient into surgery while his superior watches helplessly. It feels like the plot is forcing twists that make no sense just to amp up the drama.
The actors are doing their best with the material, but the story is failing them in a big way. Gun and Ju-yeon have undeniable chemistry, and their relationship could have been the emotional core of the show—if only the writers hadn’t sabotaged Ju-yeon’s character with a toxic, unfixable backstory.
And while the half-sister theory might be off the table, who else is betting that Hyo-myeong, Sae-yan’s biological father, is also the one who killed Ju-yeon’s father? The plot twist is so predictable it’s almost insulting. It’s frustrating that this time could’ve been better spent exploring Sae-yan’s relationship with the Lee brothers—a dynamic far more interesting than the manufactured family secrets.
With just two episodes left, it’s hard to believe the show can salvage this tangled mess. But if you're still watching, it’s likely because Jaejoong’s performance is worth sticking around for—he, at least, deserves better than the story he's been given!