Motel California episode 10, Soon-ja rushes to Chun-pil and tells him Yeon-soo and Kang-hee have gone to Seoul. Then, Yeon-soo calls. Both parents hurry to the hospital. Kang-hee hasn’t woken up, even though the doctors say nothing is wrong.
Soon-ja starts blaming herself. She feels guilty for the harsh things she said to Kang-hee. Then, in a sudden moment, Kang-hee opens her eyes.
After waking up, she and Chun-pil go back to the motel. Mr. Kwon is there, praying for her safety. Kang-hee tells her father something shocking — it was the same accident site where her mother died.
She remembers a strange vision and tells her father about it. Chun-pil says her mother must have saved her. Kang-hee asks why he didn’t come that day. He admits he had an important meeting, but also calls himself foolish.
The Past That Never Left
The story cuts to a flashback. Chun-pil is seen arguing with a man who lost all his money. That money was meant for a family trip. The fight gets bad, and Chun-pil ends up in jail after beating the man.
Meanwhile, Mia and Kang-hee wait for him for hours. They never know what really happened. Later, when Mia and Yeon-soo’s father dies, both kids secretly hide in Chun-pil’s car as he drives to the accident site. Kang-hee sees her mother’s body and runs away in shock.
Back in the present, Kang-hee quietly leaves the motel early in the morning. She walks to the same place she once ran to as a child. Yeon-soo soon finds her there. She tells him she vaguely remembers him looking for her in that area. Yeon-soo doesn’t recall anything like that.
They go back to work. Yeon-soo plans to meet Kang-hee later, but then he gets a phone call from Min-jung, Han-woo’s ex-girlfriend.
At the same time, Ah-reum gets into a fight with a man her father wants her to marry. The man tries to drag her into his car. Seung-eon arrives just in time and stops him.
Later, encouraged by Kang-hee, Ah-reum decides to talk to her mother about being with Seung-eon. But her mother reacts harshly. She slaps Ah-reum and refuses to accept an orphan like Seung-eon.
A flashback follows. A woman abandons Seung-eon at the motel, leaving behind a letter saying she’ll return. Chun-pil asks the police if the boy can stay with him. Young Kang-hee immediately calls him her brother.
The Past Comes Back Stronger
Now, Seung-eon tells Kang-hee he can’t go to Seoul. He fears his real mother might return. He shows her an old picture of Mia with him as a child. Mia treated him like family.
In Seoul, Kang-hee works quietly. Seok-kyung still acts cold and distant. She later learns he’s upset because Victor is cheating on Esther. He doesn’t want Esther to get hurt. Kang-hee tells him Esther already knows the truth.
Meanwhile, Han-woo shows up at the vet clinic. He scolds Yeon-soo for giving Min-jung his number. She now wants to meet him. Nan-woo overhears this and goes straight to Ah-reum. She asks about Han-woo and Min-jung.
Ah-reum calls Han-woo. Nan-woo rushes to the bus station. Han-woo is standing there with Min-jung. Nan-woo lies that his cow is sick to stop him from leaving. But Han-woo explains he’s not leaving. Min-jung only wanted to tell him she’s getting married.
At Kang-hee’s house, she finds a small teddy bear under her bed. That small thing shakes her. Her memory flashes back in pieces. Chun-pil later speaks with Yeon-soo.
He admits he was against their relationship before. He says that as Yeon-soo’s father, he only wanted his son to be happy. But as Kang-hee’s father, he now asks Yeon-soo to take care of her. He also says her memory is coming back and thanks him for staying beside her.
Yeon-soo goes to Kang-hee’s house in Seoul, but she’s gone. She’s visiting the columbarium where her mother’s ashes rest.
A flashback shows Mia promising Kang-hee they will move to California, her hometown. But when Chun-pil never shows up, they go home to rest. Kang-hee ties a red string from her mother’s foot to hers. When she wakes up, her mother is gone. A small teddy bear lies in her hand.
The Truth Finally Breaks Through
Later, Kang-hee remembers more. She sees herself pushing the small bear into a car’s exhaust pipe. Then, she remembers running to that hut after seeing her mother’s dead body. Yeon-soo and the others find her there.
Kang-hee returns from the columbarium and sees Yeon-soo waiting outside. He smiles, relieved. But she suddenly says they should break up. Yeon-soo stays calm. He tells her he will wait until she’s ready to talk.
The next day, Seung-eon and Chun-pil take funeral photos for the elderly in town. Chun-pil even asks Seung-eon to take one of him too. It worries Seung-eon. He senses something bad. He wonders if Chun-pil might be dying.
At night, Kang-hee sits beside Chun-pil as he plays the guitar. They talk quietly. Chun-pil apologizes again for all the pain he caused. Kang-hee tells him he must live long and healthy. She says he can’t die until she’s ready to forgive him.
Soon-ja meets the monk from the temple again. She then gets a call from Kang-hee. They meet at a restaurant. Kang-hee apologizes sincerely and leaves.
Later, she meets Yeon-soo. Before she speaks, Yeon-soo says she is his beginning and his end. He says his heart belongs to her. Kang-hee tells him everything. She says she caused the accident that killed their parents. She remembers her mother’s last words — that she loved her.
She looks at Yeon-soo and says she loves him too. Then, she walks away.
Ending
That is how Motel California Episode 10 ends — with truth, heartbreak, and quiet acceptance. Episode 10 of Motel California is a masterclass in emotional storytelling. The writing confidently pays off long-built narrative threads, and the performances are raw and compelling.
While heartbreaking, the episode provides the necessary catharsis for the story to move toward its final resolution. It’s a must-watch for any fan of character-driven family sagas and is arguably the series’ strongest episode to date.
Do you think Yeon-soo can truly forgive Kang-hee after learning the full truth? What is the significance of Seung-eon’s fear of his mother returning? Was Kang-hee’s decision to break up an act of love or self-punishment?
Which moment in Motel California Episode 10 hit you the hardest?
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Kavita Mishra is a dynamic writer and passionate Korean entertainment enthusiast, combining her love for K-pop and K-drama with a flair for storytelling. With a keen eye for the latest trends, Kavita crafts articles that capture the pulse of K-pop idols, chart-topping hits, and the most buzz-worthy dramas taking over screens worldwide.
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