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Episodes 9 and 10 of The Potato Lab aired on March 29 and 30, respectively. The story revolves around Kim Mi-kyung, who works at a potato research institute and is passionate about potatoes. Her world turns upside down with the arrival of So Baek-ho at the lab, and she finds love in the most unlikely place.
In the previous episodes of The Potato Lab, Mi-kyung and Baek-ho are falling head over heels for each other. Ki-se is not particularly happy about the fact that Mi-kyung is moving ahead in her life.
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In the meantime, after discovering Hwang-kyung's relationship with Ong-ju, Mi-kyung is unable to come to terms with it.
The Potato Lab episode 9 and 10 recap: Ki-se regrets his past and So Baek-ho's secret casts a shadow over his relationship with Mi-kyung
Episode 9 of The Potato Lab, titled I Regret It, starts with a flashback to six years ago, when Mi-kyung was head over heels in love with Ki-se. She was waiting for him at the airport with Ong-ju and Hwang-kyung, planning a surprise return party for him at home. But Ki-se never turns up and instead goes out with his work colleagues.
Later, in The Potato Lab, episode 9, Ki-se becomes cold towards her at the office as he advises her to be cautious about any physical intimacy at work. The scene then shifts to the moment when he presented Mi-kyung with his wedding card, which shattered her from within.
In the present, Mi-kyung puts the pieces together as she finally discovers Hee-jin's identity. As So Baek-ho starts with an explanation about the two, Mi-kyung abruptly makes an excuse and leaves him to get some fresh air. Baek-ho soon follows her with coffee, as he could sense that she was lying to him.
Meanwhile, Ki-se confronts Hee-jin, accusing her of pretending that everything is fine between them after she has disappeared from his life. He even accuses her of treating him badly during their marriage. To this, Hee-jin lashes out at him, pointing out that he was the one who was emotionally absent in the marriage. She walks away wishing that he stays miserable forever.
Meanwhile, Baek-ho and Mi-kyung go on a ramyeon date by the Han riverside, where they spot an intoxicated Hee-jin drowning her sorrows. She quickly joins them and reveals her love story, describing how she attended a training program, met Ki-se, and became smitten with him.
Mi-kyung is not comfortable listening to finer details of the romance and leaves, saying she needs to start early the next day. On returning home, she finds that Ong-ju has left the guesthouse, leaving behind a tearful Hwang-kyung. She also realizes that Ong-ju is her brother's first love and is sacrificing her love for the sake of her happiness.
She rushes to Ong-ju's place to set things right and is joined by Baek-ho. After a hilarious trespassing attempt that lands everyone in the police station, Ong-ju and Mi-kyung reunite as she gives her blessings to Hwang-kyung and her relationship. Ki-se, on the other hand, reflects and wants to settle things with Mi-kyung.
He calls her to meet at the café and reveals the state of his marriage. He disclosed that Hee-jin abruptly disappeared and handled their divorce proceedings through a lawyer. The reason for her ghosting remains unclear to Ki-se, who also admits that, to save face, he hides from everyone at Wonhan that he is divorced.
Mi-kyung admits that she does find satisfaction in his misery but still offers him words of encouragement.
Further in episode 9 of The Potato Lab, chaos unleashes at the lab when the team discovers that the doors to all greenhouses are left open. Seung-hoon nonchalantly explains that he left them open but dismisses the issue as trivial by stating that they are just potatoes.
Mi-kyung angrily explains the implications of his actions and the importance of keeping the greenhouse doors closed. But it is Joo Seung-hee who steals the show by grabbing a metal bat and chasing Seung-hoon into the parking lot.
After spending a night checking the saplings for any bugs, Mi-kyung threatens Seung-hoon at work by exposing him, as she has nothing to lose since she is on her way out of the lab.
Baek-ho spends an afternoon with Mi-kyung, during which she opens up about the incident that occurred six years ago. She recounts that after leaving Wonhan, he was offered a job at the potato lab, despite not being an expert. However, she persevered through challenges, including a snowstorm, and managed to save a single potato.
She described the incident as life-changing and said it gave her a new purpose in life. Baek-ho seizes the moment with a romantic kiss, and Mi-kyung shares details of the moment with Ong-ju when she comes back home. Both of them giggle and start preparing for her hypothetical wedding and honeymoon.
The next morning, Mi-kyung wakes up to the news of Ki-se's father passing away. On the other hand, Ki-se is sitting outside the funeral home and recalling the times when he ignored his family and gave Hee-jin's family all his attention. He starts to cry regretfully and finds Mi-kyung has come to pay her respects.
Further in The Potato Lab, episode 9, Mi-kyung meets Ki-se's mother, revealing their close relationship. After Mi-kyung leaves the funeral home, Ki-se realizes that, although he is married to Hee-jin, he remembers Mi-kyung's foot size, allergies, and even her birthday, rather than Hee-jin's.
At the end of episode 9 of The Potato Lab, Ki-se runs after Mi-kyung and cries bitterly on her shoulder, admitting that he regrets it. While he was crying his heart out, Baek-ho came to the funeral home to witness Ki-se crying in her arms. The episode ends with his stunned expression.
Episode 10 of The Potato Lab, titled "Yes," starts with Ki-se crying his heart out in remorse, and Mi-kyung offers him a tissue, aware that his grief will impact those around him. After a while, she leaves him to return to the office as Baek-ho sits in his car, witnessing everything. He does not come out and show himself to Ki-se or Mi-kyung.
Baek-ho feels guilty because six years ago, CEO Yoon asked him to discreetly handle Ki-se's ex-girlfriend. He did not realize that he had been a catalyst in driving Mi-kyung away from Wonhan, allowing Ki-se to marry Hee-jin in peace. As the truth finally dawns on him, he is ridden with guilt.
So, when Mi-kyung comes back to the guesthouse, he tightly hugs her and is seen torn between finding the right moment to reveal the truth. On the other hand, at the funeral home, CEO Yoon meets Ki-se and reveals that Baek-ho was asking about Mi-kyung and the past events involving him and Hee-jin.
Baek-ho, on the other hand, confides in Ms. Hong, whom he helped get back her calf, about his inner turmoil. Ms. Hong comforts him and advises him to let it go. He starts to tear up as the village chief also arrives, bringing various goodies to cheer him up.
Baek-ho joins Mi-kyung at the potato lab picnic, which takes an unexpected turn when the teams arrive for glamping, only to find a dilapidated setting. The tension escalates further when their longstanding rivals, the Kim Jungmi Food Sweet Potato team, arrive and mock them.
The situation is quickly diffused by Baek-ho, who, to his team's amusement, refers to the other team as dessert researchers. Additionally, he splurges on a more luxurious spot for the team.
Further in The Potato Lab, episode 10, alone in the tent, Mi-kyung and Baek-ho are kissing and are just about to kiss when Jung-jae's daughter Su-jin interrupts them and invites Baek-ho to play with her. Baek-ho hesitantly agrees and is dragged to a day-long adventure where he is playing princess and having a tea party with her.
Finally, when he arrives at the dinner, Su-jin tells everyone that she eavesdropped and heard that Mi-kyung was thrown out of the job by Baek-ho. The news catches everyone in the team off guard, and the atmosphere goes somber, which guilts Baek-ho even more.
Further in episode 10 of The Potato Lab, Mi-kyung tries to lighten the mood and takes Baek-ho to her secret greenhouse. There she reveals that even Ong-ju is not aware of the place. She reassures him that whether she is in the lab or not, she will pursue her passion for potatoes, and her life's dream is still that. Baek-ho is overwhelmed with guilt and rushes off from there just to process his emotions.
Ki-se, on the other hand, meets Mi-kyung at Wonhan and shares his regrets about the past. However, he enigmatically advises her to be cautious of Baek-ho and not to trust him too much. At the restaurant, Mi-kyung meets Seung-hoon, who admits to spying on her and Baek-ho. But he also hints at Baek-ho's involvement in her past.
As soon as she reaches home, Ong-ju shares that she has heard a rumor that Baek-ho was crying at Ms. Hong's residence. Mi-kyung then goes to Baek-ho's apartment to seek answers.
On returning home, he finds Mi-kyung waiting for him outside his apartment. He reveals all the truth to Mi-kyung, confessing that he was instructed to make her leave the company to avoid any legal repercussions.
He isolated her by transferring her to a different team where no one spoke to her or even worked with her, making her leave on her own accord. The realization shakes Mi-kyung up. At the end of episode 10 of The Potato Lab, Mi-kyung lashes out at Baek-ho and asks if he really did that to her, and the episode concludes with him saying yes to the question.
The Potato Lab, starring Lee Sun-bin, Kang Tae-oh, and Lee Hak-ju, airs every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 KST on tvN and is also available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions.
