8 Times “Hotel Del Luna” Episodes 13 And 14 Gave Us Chills

“Hotel Del Luna” may be nearing its end, but the drama continues to build tension with plenty of emotion-packed moments in its penultimate week. As the finale approaches, our ghostly characters are forced to confront the fates that they have long been awaiting — and that means coming face to face with their pasts, their sorrows, and even the worst versions of themselves. From confrontations that we have eagerly awaited to hidden truths that have finally come to light, here are eight moments from this week’s episodes that gave us the chills!

Warning: Spoilers for “Hotel Del Luna” Episodes 13 and 14 below.

1. Mrs. Choi’s backstory

We have long wondered at the details of the hotel employees’ personal stories, and this week Mrs. Choi’s (Bae Hae Sun) past was fully revealed: she has spent 200 years waiting for the family that cruelly caused the death of her baby daughter to completely die out. And when Mrs. Choi gets word that the woman who is pregnant with the last descendant of that family is facing death, Man Wol (IU) is curious to watch whether her employee will feel better once her long-standing grudge has been resolved.

The answer, unsurprisingly, is that Mrs. Choi does not feel better, especially because as fate would have it (or as the deities would set it up), the pregnant woman faces the exact same helplessness and despair that Mrs. Choi herself went through when she was losing her own child.

Mrs. Choi cannot bear to watch and has an ambulance called to save the woman and child, proving that seeing the downfall of the family that caused her so much pain is not as cathartic as she expected. The effect that her kindness has on Man Wol is especially chilling, as Man Wol struggles with the thought that revenge may not be as sweet as it seems in light of the fact that she has spent 1,000 years waiting for it.

2. Chung Myung’s demise

“Hotel Del Luna” also finally revealed how Chung Myung (Lee Do Hyun) met his end: when Man Wol hesitated to make the final blow, Chung Myung killed himself by her arm, pulling himself onto her sword and into a deadly embrace in this shockingly tragic scene that took our breath away.

3. These parallel scenes

After Chan Sung (Yeo Jin Goo) bravely (or foolishly) ventures down the tunnel towards the afterlife to rescue a human child, Man Wol is sure she’s lost him for good. But upon coming out of the tunnel, he greets Man Wol with a gesture that is hauntingly familiar to her.

And since we watched Chan Sung come face to face with the firefly Chung Myung in the tunnel, we were just as spooked as Man Wol in wondering if Chan Sung’s body might, in fact, now be inhabited by Chung Myung. It was quite a chilling way to end Episode 13!

4. Man Wol’s curse

While we realize soon enough that Chan Sung is still himself, the deity Ma Go intentionally confuses Man Wol into thinking that he is actually the reincarnation of Chung Myung. It’s a moment we’ve been waiting weeks for: confronted with the choice between avenging herself on Chung Myung and keeping Chan Sung alive, what will Man Wol do? As it turns out, she cannot let the past go: her 1,000-year resentment against Chung Myung is so huge that, as much as she loves Chan Sung, she still wants to see harm come to him if he is Chung Myung — although she admits that she cannot bring herself to do it by her own hand.

It was also chilling to watch Man Wol confront her past self when she creates the curse intended for Chan Sung in the form of herself from 1,000 years ago. It’s clear how much resentment Man Wol harbors against herself not only in the present for falling in love again, but also in the past for being blinded by love in the first place, as well as for having such strong ill will and hatred that she cannot shake it off even now.

5. Hyun Joong’s secret

Ji Hyun Joong (Block B’s P.O) has been waiting for his sister to die so that he can pass on to the afterlife with her. But this week Yoo Na (gugudan’s Mina) discovers a dark, sad secret behind Hyun Joong’s story: someone has stolen his identity, and the stranger has even fooled Hyun Joong’s sister into thinking he is really her older brother.

What’s even more tragic is that Hyun Joong himself is aware of this, and has withstood presumably decades of the sister he loves so much being fooled by an imposter.

6. Chung Myung’s impossible situation

We knew that the choice Chung Myung made to bring about the death of Man Wol’s people could not have been a simple one, and we were right: had he protected Man Wol’s people, he would have been responsible for the executions of all those surrounding and working for him. Chung Myung had to betray one group of people or the other, and can we really blame him for making the choice he did?

Yeon Woo (Lee Tae Sun), though, doesn’t care much for Chung Myung’s excuses. The only thing he does care about at this point is Man Wol:

And when she finally witnesses this scene from the past, Man Wol’s reaction gives us shivers: Chung Myung acted the way he did towards her because it was Yeon Woo’s last wish.

7. The long-awaited meeting

For a reunion that has been 1,000 years in the making, Man Wol and Chung Myung’s brief exchange felt a little anticlimactic. It was short, relatively emotionless, and only a few words were said between the two. But in fact, that was the beauty of it: Man Wol has finally let go of all her resentment and pain and is finally able to welcome closure for the sorrow that Chung Myung caused her.

The scene is perhaps a bit sad for Chung Myung, who, after all, did spend 1,000 years as a bug waiting for this moment. But he seems content enough that Man Wol no longer bears him any ill will. This smile says it all:

8. Man Wol’s decision

To fully bring the past to a close, it is only right that Man Wol should see off Chung Myung. But she sees him farther than most guests, journeying towards the afterlife with him. We are just as worried as Chan Sung that Man Wol might not return, but her conviction makes us believe she will — while also hinting at a painfully indefinite separation.

Man Wol then accompanies Chung Myung over the bridge on which a soul’s memories from his or her life slowly disappear. But Man Wol made a promise that when her time came to walk the bridge, she would remember Chan Sung until the very end — and she definitely remembers something when she turns back in the emotionally and aesthetically beautiful moment when Chung Myung extends his hand, offering the option of the two of them moving on to the next life together.

With any luck, Man Wol is specifically thinking of Chan Sung when she refuses Chung Myung’s offer, as opposed to turning back due to just a vague sense that she should return. Please no amnesia, Hong Sisters! What remains to be seen is how long Man Wol will spend on the bridge; after all, time moves differently in the afterlife, and what seems like days to her may be decades in the real world. The deities have said that Chan Sung must pay a price for helping Man Wol: might a long period of waiting be his punishment? We hope not!

Hey Soompiers, which scenes from this week’s episodes gave you the chills? Any predictions for the ending? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Catch this week’s episodes of “Hotel Del Luna”:

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hgordon stays up way too late on weeknights marathoning K-dramas and trying to keep up with the latest K-pop releases. Follow her adventures in Seoul on Instagram.

Currently watching: “Hotel Del Luna” and “Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung” All-time favorite dramas: “Scarlet Heart: Goryeo,” “Goblin,” and “Hwayugi” Looking forward to: “Vagabond”