AH

I think if someone watches the first two episodes and doesn't like them, there's a pretty good chance they won't like the rest of the drama. But I don't think it's 100% certain. Especially if they started the drama with very, very high expectations and no additional knowledge about where the drama is going.

I saw a ton of gifsets and posts about the first two episodes right after they aired and was confused, because what I was seeing in terms of the dynamics between the leads didn't seem appealing to me, but peoples' reactions were so positive. I ended up binge reading the novel to see if there could be a reasonable explanation as to why the leads were acting the way they were towards each other and if things changed between them, and found that there was / that they did. So I felt confident that I could start watching the drama and would probably end up satisfied. If I had just gone ahead and watched the first two episodes of the drama without reading the novel first, I think there's a good chance I might've dropped the drama back in November. I enjoyed the novel and I've been enjoying the drama so far, so I'm very glad that I decided to read the novel.

I'm not trying to say the way it happened in the novel didn't make sense. I'm just saying the novel doesn't show the readers exactly how certain things happened. It provides a few details, and then leaves the readers to infer the rest. Which is fine. But it just means that when drama viewers ask for those details, for some things novel readers can't provide them. We can only pass on what little the novel does say and make note of what is implied / what we have inferred.

I agree that the drama has time to provide a more detailed explanation.

You might need to adjust your expectations. It's not trying to be a perfectly crafted, plothole-free masterpiece. It's an over-the-top, wattpad-style romance / thriller. Plus, in my experience, starting a drama with sky-high expectations always sets me up for disappointment.

If it's just the dynamic between the leads that's putting you off, I'd recommend sticking with it a bit longer because the dynamic changes drastically. If it's more of a genre issue and you're not liking it because it isn't realistic, then this probably just isn't your cup of tea.

No, you were correct Anita2. The person who had the eye surgery was Baek Eui Yong.

No, the secretary (Mr. Min) told HHJ that Baek Eui Yong had heterochromia when he was young (just like the kidnapper has heterochromia) but it was corrected through surgery and most people don't know about it. This information allows HHJ to realize that the kidnapper inherited his heterochromia from Baek Eui Yong because he is Baek Eui Yong's bioligical son: the real Baek Sa Eon.

MDL user Pokor noted that the korean cc subtitles confirmed that Mr. Min used "대표님" (daepyo-nim), which means "Representative", when referring to the person who had eye surgery. While the secretary uses "대변인" (daebyeon-in), which means "Spokesperson", when referring to the male lead. This confirms, without a doubt, that Mr. Min was saying that Representative Baek Eui Yong got eye surgery when he was young to correct the heterochromia he was born with, and most people (most likely even including the male lead) do not know about the surgery. Meaning that the male lead would not have been able to deduce that the kidnapper was Baek Eui Yong's biological son / the real Baek Sa Eon after HHJ told him that the kidnapper had heterochromia. He needed an additional clue. If the fisherman had not given him that clue (by telling him that "he's alive"), then Mr. Min's clue likely would have allowed the male lead to figure it out the way HHJ figured it out. Pokor's comment is here: https://kisskh.at/766179-the-number-you-have-dialed#comment-19974992

I posted other clues about who Mr. Min was referring to when he told HHJ about the eye surgery here: https://kisskh.at/766179-the-number-you-have-dialed#comment-19974756

Wikipedia says: In July 2015, South Korea's National Assembly abolished a 25-year limit on first degree murder; it had previously been extended from 15 to 25 years in December 2007.

Wikipedia's Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1843628/south-korea-removes-statute-limitations-murder

Paternity tests do not indicate how much DNA the two tested individuals have in common. They provide a different percentage: a probability of paternity percentage.

Usually a paternity test either gives a "negative" result (no chance of paternity) or a ~99.99% probability of paternity (with 100% probability basically being impossible).

I also posted more details here: https://kisskh.at/766179-the-number-you-have-dialed#comment-19987466

In episode 8, it was confirmed that the DNA test that HIA received demonstrates that the male lead is not Baek Eui Yong's biological son.

In episode 9, it was hinted that the male lead might be Baek Jang Ho's secret, illegitimate son, because the fisherman insisted that the male lead should not call him "father" and Baek Jang Ho told the male lead that he intentionally did not give the male lead a name (meaning that he was in a position to give the male lead a name at the time of his birth, but chose to leave him nameless).

In episode 10, Sim Gyu Jin hinted to Baek Eui Yong that the male lead *is* Baek Jang Ho's secret, illegitimate biological son. Some fans have also speculated that she was also hinting that Baek Eui Yong is *not* Baek Jang Ho's biological son.

In terms of how that connects back to the DNA test, either option (i.e., Baek Eui Yong is or is not Baek Jang Ho's biological son) still seems possible. Although it would be nice to see a full translation of the DNA test report that HIA received from the male lead to be sure.

Note that typically paternity tests are specifically designed to test for DNA marker matches that would be possible in the case of paternity, not a percentage of matching DNA that would indicate any kind of biological relationship, and it looked like the DNA test was a paternity test (see an example here: https://genera.lv/en/dna-tests/kinship-dna-tests/paternity-testing/interpretation-of-results#:~:text=What%20does%20a%20negative%20result,NOT%20the%20child's%20biological%20father).

If it was a paternity test, it would make sense that the test indicated a negative / no match / not possible result, as Baek Eui Yong is not the male lead's biological father. It would still produce that result even if Baek Eui Yong and the male lead were half brothers.

However, if the test was a general kinship test that was just looking for a % of matching DNA rather than a paternity test (unlikely), and if Baek Eui Yong was the male lead's biological father, then about 47.5% of the male lead's DNA would match with Baek Eui Yong’s DNA. If the male lead was Baek Eui Yong’s half brother (i.e., they were both Baek Jang Ho's biological sons, but had different mothers), then somewhere in the range of 17% - 34% of the male lead's DNA would match with Baek Eui Yong’s DNA. If the male lead is Baek Jang Ho's biological son and Baek Eui Yong is not Baek Jang Ho's biological son, then closer to 0% of the male lead's DNA would match with Baek Eui Yong's DNA.

If the DNA test was looking for a kinship DNA match that would indicate paternity (~47.5%), then I assume it would still come back negative even if there was a small percentage of matching DNA (e.g., 17% - 34%, as one would expect to see in half siblings). Of course, it would also come back negative if there was ~0% matching DNA.

Source: https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/212170668-Average-Percent-DNA-Shared-Between-Relatives

I also posted these details here: https://kisskh.at/766179-the-number-you-have-dialed#comment-19987466

In episode 8, it was confirmed that the DNA test that HIA received demonstrates that the male lead is not Baek Eui Yong's biological son.

In episode 9, it was hinted that the male lead might be Baek Jang Ho's secret, illegitimate son, because the fisherman insisted that the male lead should not call him "father" and Baek Jang Ho told the male lead that he intentionally did not give the male lead a name (meaning that he was in a position to give the male lead a name at the time of his birth, but chose to leave him nameless).

In episode 10, Sim Gyu Jin hinted to Baek Eui Yong that the male lead *is* Baek Jang Ho's secret, illegitimate biological son. Some fans have also speculated that she was also hinting that Baek Eui Yong is *not* Baek Jang Ho's biological son.

In terms of how that connects back to the DNA test, either option (i.e., Baek Eui Yong is or is not Baek Jang Ho's biological son) still seems possible. Although it would be nice to see a full translation of the DNA test report that HIA received from the male lead to be sure.

Note that typically paternity tests are specifically designed to test for DNA marker matches that would be possible in the case of paternity, not a percentage of matching DNA that would indicate any kind of biological relationship, and it looked like the DNA test was a paternity test (see an example here: https://genera.lv/en/dna-tests/kinship-dna-tests/paternity-testing/interpretation-of-results#:~:text=What%20does%20a%20negative%20result,NOT%20the%20child's%20biological%20father).

If it was a paternity test, it would make sense that the test indicated a negative / no match / not possible result, as Baek Eui Yong is not the male lead's biological father. It would still produce that result even if Baek Eui Yong and the male lead were half brothers.

However, if the test was a general kinship test that was just looking for a % of matching DNA rather than a paternity test (unlikely), and if Baek Eui Yong was the male lead's biological father, then about 47.5% of the male lead's DNA would match with Baek Eui Yong’s DNA. If the male lead was Baek Eui Yong’s half brother (i.e., they were both Baek Jang Ho's biological sons, but had different mothers), then somewhere in the range of 17% - 34% of the male lead's DNA would match with Baek Eui Yong’s DNA. If the male lead is Baek Jang Ho's biological son and Baek Eui Yong is not Baek Jang Ho's biological son, then closer to 0% of the male lead's DNA would match with Baek Eui Yong's DNA.

If the DNA test was looking for a kinship DNA match that would indicate paternity (~47.5%), then I assume it would still come back negative even if there was a small percentage of matching DNA (e.g., 17% - 34%, as one would expect to see in half siblings). Of course, it would also come back negative if there was ~0% matching DNA.

Source: https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/212170668-Average-Percent-DNA-Shared-Between-Relatives

I also posted these details here: https://kisskh.at/766179-the-number-you-have-dialed#comment-19987466

The real BSE killed the orphans when he was a child, and then Baek Jang Ho tried to kill the real BSE by drowning him.

The person who had eye surgery to correct their heterochromia (different coloured eyes) was Baek Eui Yong (the real BSE's biological father / the replacement BSE's fake father), not Baek Jang Ho (the real BSE's grandfather).

The secretary gave that information about the eye surgery to HHJ so that she and the male lead would know that Baek Eui Yong was born with heterochromia too, just like the kidnapper, and therefore they would be able to realize that the kidnapper (who inherited his heterochromia from Baek Eui Yong) was Baek Eui Yong's biological son - the real BSE.

Novel spoilers ahead.

In the novel, the male lead makes calls to HHJ from an international number that begins with 675, a number he chose to match with 406. At the end of the novel, the male lead tells HHJ to call him 675.

But even if the 675 phone calls from the novel end up being incorporated into the drama somehow, I'm guessing they won't have him go by 675 at the end of the drama. I haven't read all of the extra stories, so maybe there's something in there about the male lead getting his own name that isn't a number. If not, then if the male lead gets his own name in the drama it will be unique to the drama.

The grandfather, Baek Jang Ho, arranged the car crash because HHJ and HIA's half-brother saw the real Baek Sa Eon (particularly his face and his distinctive heterochromia) shortly before Baek Jang Ho tried to drown the real Baek Sa Eon and replace him with the male lead.

True, the novel explained how they met. But what did Sim Gyu Jin actually say to Park Do Jae, apart from making him think that the male lead was the person who harmed his sister? How did she explain why she was willing to help him go after the man who Park Do Jae thought was her son in this particular way, with the kidnapper and the threatening phone calls? How did she explain who the kidnapper was and why he was willing to participate in this plan? We can guess, but the novel didn't actual give us much in the way of details.

https://kisskh.at/766179-the-number-you-have-dialed#comment-19974752

Was it a general kinship DNA test that came back indicating that the test subjects had 0% matching DNA? Or was it a paternity test that came back indicating that it was not possible that the test subjects could be father and son? Because those are two different things.

I discussed this point further in this comment: https://kisskh.at/766179-the-number-you-have-dialed#comment-19987466

In episode 8, it was confirmed that the DNA test that HIA received demonstrates that the male lead is not Baek Eui Yong's biological son.

In episode 9, it was hinted that the male lead might be Baek Jang Ho's secret, illegitimate son, because the fisherman insisted that the male lead should not call him "father" and Baek Jang Ho told the male lead that he intentionally did not give the male lead a name (meaning that he was in a position to give the male lead a name at the time of his birth, but chose to leave him nameless).

In episode 10, Sim Gyu Jin hinted to Baek Eui Yong that the male lead *is* Baek Jang Ho's secret, illegitimate biological son. Some fans have also speculated that she was also hinting that Baek Eui Yong is *not* Baek Jang Ho's biological son.

In terms of how that connects back to the DNA test, either option (i.e., Baek Eui Yong is or is not Baek Jang Ho's biological son) still seems possible. Although it would be nice to see a full translation of the DNA test report that HIA received from the male lead to be sure.

Note that typically paternity tests are specifically designed to test for DNA marker matches that would be possible in the case of paternity, not a percentage of matching DNA that would indicate any kind of biological relationship, and it looked like the DNA test was a paternity test (see an example here: https://genera.lv/en/dna-tests/kinship-dna-tests/paternity-testing/interpretation-of-results#:~:text=What%20does%20a%20negative%20result,NOT%20the%20child's%20biological%20father.).

If it was a paternity test, it would make sense that the test indicated a negative / no match / not possible result, as Baek Eui Yong is not the male lead's biological father. It would still produce that result even if Baek Eui Yong and the male lead were half brothers.

However, if the test was a general kinship test that was just looking for a % of matching DNA rather than a paternity test (unlikely), and if Baek Eui Yong was the male lead's biological father, then about 47.5% of the male lead's DNA would match with Baek Eui Yong’s DNA. If the male lead was Baek Eui Yong’s half brother (i.e., they were both Baek Jang Ho's biological sons, but had different mothers), then somewhere in the range of 17% - 34% of the male lead's DNA would match with Baek Eui Yong’s DNA. If the male lead is Baek Jang Ho's biological son and Baek Eui Yong is not Baek Jang Ho's biological son, then closer to 0% of the male lead's DNA would match with Baek Eui Yong's DNA.

If the DNA test was looking for a kinship DNA match that would indicate paternity (~47.5%), then I assume it would still come back negative even if there was a small percentage of matching DNA (e.g., 17% - 34%, as one would expect to see in half siblings). Of course, it would also come back negative if there was ~0% matching DNA.

Source: https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/212170668-Average-Percent-DNA-Shared-Between-Relatives

You're welcome! I like parts of the drama and parts of the novel. Each version has its pros and cons.

The drama has already taken a very different turn from the novel and I'm expecting that it will continue that way in the last two episodes.

Yes, the male lead is Baek Jang Ho's illegitimate son (presumably conceived with a much younger mistress).

Baek Jang Ho used the unnamed male lead (his secret, illegitimate son) to replace the real Baek Sa Eon, his legitimate grandson, as the two boys were the same age despite the fact that they were from different generations in the Baek family tree.

I'm not sure. She might've been implying that Baek Eui Yong is *not* Baek Jang Ho's biological son in addition to revealing the fact that the male lead *is* Baek Jang Ho's biological son....

Or she might've just been revealing the fact that the male lead is Baek Jang Ho's biological son and implying that Baek Eui Yong should be wary of him by noting that the male lead happens to really take after Baek Jang Ho while Baek Eui Yong and the real BSE don't take after Baek Jang Ho much, despite both of them also being related to him.