Character Relationship Map: The Preparation

Characters

• Ae-soon (played by Goh Doo-shim) — protagonist

  Ae-soon is In-gyu's mother, and the two share a happy life in a small apartment in Yongin. After learning that cancer has left her only months to live, she initially considers ending both their lives...

• In-gyu (played by Kim Sung-kyun) — supporting

  In-gyu is Ae-soon's intellectually disabled son. He lives with her in a small apartment, and although his traits sometimes mildly frustrate her, they share a happy life. His request for fried eggs the...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Ae-soon → In-gyu (Family Mother And Son) — Ae-soon devotes herself to caring for In-gyu, then begins teaching him to manage everyday tasks because her illness means she may not be able to care for him. In-gyu resists her instructions and canno...

  The plot identifies Ae-soon as In-gyu's mother and says she cares for him in their shared home. She prepares his meals, helps him dress, and tries to...

Story Analysis

A seriously ill mother tries to prepare her dependent son for life without her, while he struggles to accept her coming death.

Plot Progression

1. A Life of Daily Care — Ae-soon handles In-gyu's everyday needs, taking him along to work. He resists her instructions and longs to live independently.
2. Teaching for an Uncertain Future — After learning she is seriously ill and needs an operation, Ae-soon begins preparing In-gyu to manage without her. She teaches him household tasks and seeks practical-skills support.
3. Learning to Face Others — In-gyu struggles with unfamiliar people and routines and believes others hate him. Ae-soon reassures him, while his efforts reveal his memory and concern for those around him.
4. The Truth at the Funeral Home — As Ae-soon's condition worsens, she tries to explain that death is permanent, after In-gyu has understood it as a journey from which people return. At the funeral home, she tells him she will die soon...