When Life Gives You Tangerines- (Final) Episodes 15-16

Start-Ups, Squid, and a Surprise Baby

Episode 15 starts off with Geum-myeong dropping a bombshell over breakfast—she’s quit her job and sunk all her savings into a start-up. Cue immediate chaos. Ae-soon loses it, and what starts as a fight about finances quickly turns into a full-on family blowout.

Frustrated and tired of playing it safe, Gwan-sik makes a bold move of his own—he buys a shop in the middle of nowhere, banking on rumors of future redevelopment and a shiny new golf course. It's risky, it’s reckless... and it’s the first time he’s ever taken a chance.

Meanwhile, Yeong-ran has her own mic-drop moment: she divorces Sang-gil. With her real estate license and financial independence, she walks away from the marriage and the mess, while Sang-gil finally—finally—starts to realize what a disaster he’s been.

Back home, Eun-myeong freaks out after discovering they might’ve been scammed. Turns out, that golf course promise? Not so solid. And since the family put their house up as collateral, they’re one step away from losing everything. Just when things hit rock bottom, Geum-myeong shows up—again—with money she borrowed to save the house.

Instead of thanks, it sparks yet another argument—about expectations, pressure, and why it always seems to fall on her. Gwan-sik finally stops the fighting. But after she storms out, they discover the truth: Geum-myeong’s been pregnant all along.

Turns out, she wasn’t just planning a business—she was preparing for her baby. She’d been saving every penny, living small, cutting corners to make it all work.

Flash forward to the delivery room. Things take a scary turn—Geum-myeong isn’t dilating, and the doctors are worried. Cheong-seop calls Ae-soon and Gwan-sik in a panic. Geum-myeong passes out during labor. But in the end, both she and her daughter pull through. The moment her parents arrive, they go straight into caregiver mode, all arguments forgotten.

With renewed purpose, the Yang family throws everything into building their future. Their restaurant becomes the family’s new heart. Ae-soon negotiates squid supplies like a pro, while Gwan-sik and Eun-myeong run deliveries. Slowly but surely, the place becomes a local hit.

Then comes the twist: a celebrity starts promoting the restaurant online. Why? Because Gwan-sik once saved her life—and she’s never forgotten it. Her quiet visits over the years were more than just thank-yous—they were building up to this big gesture.

Meanwhile, at Sang-gil’s daughter’s wedding, Yeong-ran finds out something unexpected: Sang-gil was instrumental in having Eun-myeong’s shady business partner arrested. He didn’t brag about it or ask for credit—he just did it. And for once, Yeong-ran sees a glimpse of the man he could’ve been.

The episode ends with a rare moment of unity. The whole Yang family, plus even Sang-gil, gather at the restaurant for an early start. There’s laughter, teamwork, and—for the first time in a while—hope that feels real.

Goodbyes, Poetry, and the Return of Spring

Episode 16 opens with something we’ve waited a long time to see—the Yang family thriving. The restaurant is booming, the money stress is easing, and for the first time ever, Ae-soon dares to dream a little bigger. She wants to travel abroad with Gwan-sik—just the two of them. A lifetime of hardship finally seems to be giving way to peace.

Meanwhile, Geum-myeong is in full working-mom mode, juggling her job and raising her daughter. Ae-soon slips easily into grandma duty, happily stepping in to help.

Wanting to give back to her parents, Geum-myeong uses the savings meant for their health check-ups to treat them to full medical exams. It’s a sweet gesture—until it uncovers something none of them saw coming.

While Gwan-sik is under anesthesia, Ae-soon overhears a heartbreaking confession. Gwan-sik has carried deep guilt over Dong-myeong’s death, believing that if he had built a proper seawall, their son might still be alive. The weight of this regret has followed him silently for years.

The next day, the couple visits Dong-myeong’s grave together. For the first time, Gwan-sik opens up. He tells Ae-soon how he used to watch her grieve alone, never brave enough to stand beside her, always crying from a distance. It's raw, it's overdue, and it's devastatingly honest.

Back at home, Ae-soon writes another poem. But before she can finish, Geum-myeong calls. The doctors need to run more tests on Gwan-sik. The diagnosis comes swiftly: blood cancer.

What follows is a slow, quiet unraveling. Treatment begins, and time starts to stretch. One night, Gwan-sik asks Geum-myeong to stay by his side. He shares memories of his life with Ae-soon, and makes one final request: Don’t ever let your mother be alone.

When he returns home, Eun-myeong breaks down. He had wanted to buy his father a new boat, a car—just something to say thank you. We flash back to a memory: Gwan-sik taking a young Eun-myeong out for jajangmyeon on his birthday, breaking the family’s quiet mourning rule after Dong-myeong’s death, just to give his surviving son a moment of joy.

Later, Geum-myeong appears on TV as the founder of a successful online education platform. She credits her parents, honoring them in front of the world.

Gwan-sik spends his final days at home, until he’s eventually admitted to the hospital. He passes away peacefully, his last vision Ae-soon’s smiling face, just as he asked.

After his death, Ae-soon falls into quiet grief. She turns to poetry, her oldest companion. Years pass. Her book is finally complete. She now volunteers at a care home, teaching retired Haenyeo how to read—a way of giving back to the women she once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with in the sea.

Geum-myeong surprises her by buying back their old house. It becomes the family’s gathering place, a warm return to their roots. In a full-circle moment, we learn Ae-soon’s poetry book has been published—and the editor who helped bring it to life looks remarkably like Ae-soon’s late mother.

The series closes with Ae-soon once again feeling the spring of her life—not the spring of youth, but one of peace, healing, and remembrance. Her book stands as a love letter to Gwan-sik, her children, and the life they built from the ground up.

DramaZen's Opinion

Episodes 15 and 16 were an emotional rollercoaster—and I mean that in the best way! Geum-myeong launching a business while secretly preparing for motherhood? Talk about strong main character energy. And Gwan-sik selling his boat to save the family, then quietly breaking down? My heart was in pieces.

Then came Episode 16… and wow. Gwan-sik’s confession about carrying guilt all these years, his last wish to see Ae-soon smile—tears. Actual tears. But it was so beautifully done. And Ae-soon! Turning her grief into poetry, finding purpose again, and ending the series surrounded by her family (and former haenyeo reading students!) was the warm hug we all needed.

The final touch with the editor looking like Ae-soon’s mother? Chills. The ending was touching, hopeful, and full of love. I laughed, I sobbed, and I hugged my pillow. What a ride. 💛😭