The two a's sound the same to me; I think they are, although I'm not certain. But maybe 'cause I speak Spanish, we don't complicate ourselves with pronunciations so I don't have a refined ear for that matter.
I was worried what happened could have harmed the relationship, but it turned out very well. After all, they love each other. And it's beautiful how Jukyung want to become a better person for the sake of Gye's happiness.