EPISODE 11
Can you please
not smoke around Han-gyul?
You brat.
How dare you glare at your dad like that?
Bring me the booze, now!
Darn it.
Okay.
I'll go get it.
Darn it, what's taking him so long?
Han-gyul.
Jae-gyu.
Stop it, Dad!
You ungrateful little bastard, how dare you talk back to me?
You little jerk!
Just looking at you
makes my blood boil.
You brat.
Jae-gyu.
I could've saved him. Actually...
I should've saved him.
But I...
just walked away and left him there.
It's unfortunate you couldn't save him, but you can't blame yourself.
I guess God left me this scar...
so I wouldn't think that way.
So I wouldn't forget my sin.
This right here is the proof.
Listen, Ms. Bom.
I didn't hide this scar because it's ugly.
Every time I see it,
I remember the look in my father's eyes...
It reminds me of that moment...
so I couldn't bring myself to show it.
Jae-gyu.
As I ran out of the house holding Han-gyul,
it hit me.
One day...
I'd eventually pay for it.
I kept living on edge,
wondering when that day would come.
And of all times, it's now...
when I'm happiest with you.
Even I can't forgive myself.
Who could possibly forgive me?
Even if you can't forgive me...
I won't resent you.
That too...
is my burden to bear.
HBM CHARITY CONCERT
-That day... -That day...
I'm sorry.
I got too worked up that day
and spoke out of turn.
I was the one who was too harsh.
But I went all the way down to Shinsu
just to see my daughter's face, and hearing that
really threw me off.
I totally understand.
If it were me and I found out the guy my daughter was seeing was like that--
Say nothing.
Ms. Jeong. How have you been?
I feel like we keep running into each other lately.
Because the places I go are TV stations, premieres, all that.
I heard you're starting a new project with Director Bong Chan-ho.
You've got eyes and ears everywhere.
I'll be looking forward to some good news.
Well then, see you later.
Why? Who's that?
The one who asked me about Bom at the press conference.
Reporter Park from Disfact.
Strangely enough, I see him everywhere I go lately.
As if he's following me everywhere.
Shinsu.
-Comfort him? -Yes.
But I can't figure out how.
If I get too serious, he'll feel hurt.
If I make a big deal of it, he'll put his guard up.
Why do you need to comfort him? Did he get sued again?
That's not it.
Han-gyul got into trouble, didn't he?
He's not the type to get into trouble.
Ms. Bom, come over here quickly.
What's going on?
It's the finals. The answer sheets are out.
Han-gyul marked number three on every single Korean history question.
There must be some mistake.
Take a look.
Has he lost his mind?
What the heck is going on?
Han-gyul marked all threes for math too.
Life science is all threes as well.
Why would he do that?
Han-gyul, are you finished already?
It's only been ten minutes.
Yes.
I'll talk to him.
What was he thinking?
Can you tell me what happened?
I thought it was unfair.
What?
Ms. Bom.
Se-jin studies really hard.
She always works harder than me, so why is it always me who comes first?
Shouldn't the one who works harder win?
Besides, I'm not even planning to go to college
and I don't need to do well on exams.
Han-gyul.
Well...
I get that you care about your friend,
but fairness isn't about cutting yourself short.
You both should do your best and respect the results.
On top of that, if someone as gifted as you
wants to make things fair,
it's not by holding yourself back.
You need to help others to catch up.
I should let your uncle know as your homeroom teacher.
Wait, let me tell him.
I wasn't thinking straight.
Please give me a chance
to speak to my uncle myself this time.
Han-gyul.
When did mealtime get so quiet in this house?
Han-gyul, isn't your uncle acting weird these days?
He used to say family should look at each other
instead of staring at their phones at the table.
For days, he keeps looking at his phone at the table.
Eat up.
Don't you think Han-gyul's acting weird?
He jumps at just hearing his name
and looks anxious like he's hiding something.
Han-gyul, you got something to say?
No, nothing.
Thanks for the meal.
Hey.
Eat some more.
THAT WOMAN
I sent all the paperwork. What now?
Where?
Why did you want to see me here?
You couldn't stand being here even for a second,
so you just left.
Yes, I hate this place.
Every time I come here, I remember getting beaten
and how poor we were.
And thinking about our father being part of this place
makes me sick. I can't stand a single thing about it.
That woman came by.
Who?
Yoon Bom.
I'm sorry for dropping by out of the blue.
I asked Han-gyul and found out where you are.
I see...
Is that so?
Why did you come to see me?
Recently, Mr. Sun told me
about your father.
I have nothing to say about that.
Don't come back over something like that.
He said,
"I can't even forgive myself. Who would forgive me?"
Then who
would be able to forgive him?
Are you saying that's me?
Mr. Sun is still locking himself up in his own guilt.
I think someone needs to forgive him
so he can be free of that memory.
And that's something
only someone who's been through the same pain
can do.
Listen.
I'm the kind of person who ditched my kid, only thinking about myself.
The poverty? I was so sick of it.
Getting beaten?
That pushed me over the edge.
I dumped all the responsibility and guilt onto Jae-gyu
and ran off without looking back.
The pain?
Forgiveness?
Do you think I didn't say it to Jae-gyu
all this time just because I never had the chance?
No.
It's because I felt so shameful.
All the more reason not to run away again.
Please, I'm begging you.
You're such a fool.
You're pathetic.
So helpless.
I ran off leaving my child and my past behind
and I live with my head held high.
And you're punishing yourself when you did nothing wrong?
You killed who?
No.
It wasn't you
who killed our father. It was God's doing.
Jae-gyu.
The scar on your arm...
isn't proof that you couldn't save our father.
It's proof that you saved Han-gyul.
Hee-yeon.
If I hadn't hesitated back then...
maybe Dad...
-and all three of us-- -Would've all died.
Dad, you...
and Han-gyul.
And I would've died too.
Had anything bad happened to the kid I abandoned,
I wouldn't have been able to live with myself.
So let go of the guilt now.
Han-gyul grew up so well.
Thank you for saving
and raising him.
I'm so sorry.
It took me 18 years
to finally say this.
Bom-sik! No, stop.
Bom-sik, no.
He must have met with her.
Maybe I shouldn't have done that.
Did I make things harder?
You're here?
I nodded off watching TV.
Why are you just standing there? Do you want to come in?
I've got coffee today
and I can make some ramyeon if you're hungry.
I just met my sister.
What did she want? Did she ask you to sign some more papers?
Or did she show off her bag?
She said you came by.
Gosh, I told her not to tell you.
I knew she couldn't keep stuff to herself.
Bom, you see...
I said it was my burden to bear,
but inside, I was completely overwhelmed.
I said you didn't have to forgive me,
but inside, I was scared.
Terrified, actually.
I'm sorry,
and thank you...
for understanding someone like me.
Thank you
for coming back to your old self.
You know what?
I know the perfect way to wrap things up
when things get this awkward and cheesy.
How?
I'm totally up for it.
No, not here today.
Here.
Mr. Choi!
This is serious.
I've been dealing with so much lately that most things seem minor.
Are you sure it's serious enough to make such a fuss?
Unfortunately,
yes, I'm sure.
DISFACT
I need to talk to Hye-suk when that PE teacher isn't around.
Geez, just where is she?
-Excuse me. -Oh, hi.
Are you a teacher at this school?
Well...
I'm pretty involved with a teacher here.
Who are you?
I see.
So, the thing is... I'm...
PARK JAE-YEONG, REPORTER DISFACT
It's a good thing I happened to meet that guy first.
He didn't interview anyone else?
I think he's met someone.
He knew Ms. Bom was dating a parent
and that she came here because of an affair.
But...
does anyone at school know about that?
Do you know why she came down here from Seoul?
There is one.
Who?
So what did you tell the reporter?
Oh, come on.
I've been working with you for years now.
I just said,
"I know someone who has decisive evidence of Ms. Bom's affair."
"But too many people are watching here,
so let's go to Seoul and talk in private."
Then I sent him off.
Mr. Oh.
Have I ever said that I love you?
It wasn't you I wanted to hug.
First, please draft a fact-confirmation statement
based on your conversation with the reporter.
Sure.
Please prepare a draft of this and email it to me.
Okay.
I'll ask Ms. Bom to sign a power of attorney.
So have the audio recordings and transcripts
related to the affair notarized to preserve the evidence.
On it.
All right.
Ms. Jeong.
What?
Who showed up where?
Why? What is it this time?
I'll go to Seoul to speak with the reporter first.
Make sure to let the agency know,
and just in case, it'd be best to prepare a counter-article
or an official statement in advance.
Honey!
Are you okay?
Gosh, this is bad.
-Seon-woong. -Yes?
-Your grades improved a lot. -Thank you.
Sun Han-gyul.
-Sol. -Yes?
Good job.
Se-jin.
Good job.
-Min-guk. -Yes?
What?
GRADE - RANK - SUBJECT AVERAGE
Is Se-jin actually smiling at her report card?
Hey, Se-jin is in first place!
-What? -Really?
For real?
That's crazy. Did she flip the whole game?
Congratulations.
What?
Well, you know...
Seriously...
You know what? Well...
You got a mosquito bite? Why are you scratching?
What are you doing the day after tomorrow?
Saturday?
If you're not busy, we could grab a meal together.
Why would I have a meal with you?
Why can't we have a meal together?
I'll text you the address,
so come if you want. If not, don't.
I'll just wait a bit
and if you don't show up, I'll manage. Do as you like.
It's steak, by the way.
ATTORNEY CHOI I-JUN
Gosh, who keeps calling nonstop?
What?
-Hello... -Ms. Bom.
I have something urgent to tell you.
What?
TEACHERS' OFFICE
Ms. Bom, take this call.
I didn't mean to listen in,
but he's talking about some actress and reporter. What's going on?
Hello?
Listen carefully to what I'm saying.
Reporters might come for you, Ms. Bom,
so don't go anywhere today and go straight home after school.
Set your phone to automatically record every call.
Yes.
Ignore calls from unknown numbers.
Let me know right away.
I'll meet the reporter in Seoul and get back to you.
Hey.
What are you talking about? What reporter?
Ms. Bom!
Dong-pyo?
You're here.
Master told us to keep an eye on your house,
no questions asked.
He said we should make sure you can rest easy with no worries
while he's away in Seoul.
Han-gyul's uncle is... going where?
You barged into the car, so I'm taking you with me.
But remember.
Don't cause a scene or raise your voice
unless you want to get charged with interfering with my job.
If you break stuff, that's property damage.
Hitting someone is assault.
That's enough. Let's stop by somewhere real quick.
Where?
It's rude to go empty-handed on our first visit.
I should get dressed properly.
He told me to tell you not to worry since he'll take care of it
and to give you this.
ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT
The headline's catchy,
but you need at least a photo to get clicks.
This has zero visual appeal, geez.
I heard someone's got the evidence.
-Really? -Yes.
REPORTER PARK JAE-YEONG
Hello, everyone!
Who's that?
I'm here to see Reporter Park Jae-yeong.
Did you use a private loan?
-Or co-sign for someone? -What?
Did you have an affair?
Where's the Entertainment Department?
"Politics."
"Business."
Where's Reporter Park Jae-yeong?
"Society."
Where is he?
Oh, "Sports."
Hide for now.
I'll step out for a second.
Just hide.
"Entertainment Department." There it is.
Hi there.
I'm the department head. What can I do for you?
I wish nothing but happiness and peace in everything you do.
SUN JAE-GYU
Sun Jae-gyu?
Who's Sun Jae-gyu?
That'd be me.
I'm here to speak with Reporter Park Jae-yeong.
Oh, shoot.
He had to leave early for personal reasons.
Then I can just wait until tomorrow.
I've got plenty of time.
You see, I'm the one in charge, so you can speak with me.
So you're the one in charge, huh?
I heard that Reporter Park
is doing a piece on Ms. Jeong Nan-hee's daughter.
I heard he came all the way to Shinsu for the story.
I figured I'd offer a little help.
So you're the one with the decisive evidence?
I nearly got the wrong idea.
We were planning to break it tomorrow.
So, what did you bring?
What is it, a call?
A text?
Or even better, photos or videos of the affair?
The affair...
The affair?
I brought the evidence that there was no affair.
Gosh, I can't believe this.
Hey, look.
Who cares about an article proving it wasn't an affair?
People click when it appears like it happened.
Then just don't run the story.
Who are you?
Me?
I'm a parent at the school where Ms. Yoon works
and I'm seeing her.
How did you get in here?
I want to prove what's written here
is not true,
so let me do an interview.
Get out.
I'm not interested. Just leave.
I went through the articles on my way here.
You've written a lot of entertaining pieces, huh?
You put question marks on every title,
throw in words like "suspicion" or "allegedly"
and make rumors sound like facts.
Unbelievable.
Security? This is the entertainment desk.
Yes, this is the Entertainment Department.
You're supposed to cover celebrities.
Why are you doing stories on a non-celebrity family member?
Reporter Park, you're back?
What do you think you're doing? Give it back.
Hey.
SELECT AUDIO FILE DELETE
Wait.
Did you just delete the recording?
You think we've never dealt with this before?
You ignorant fool. I guess you've seen stuff somewhere.
Now that the recording's off, what did you say?
You said we run stories that aren't even true?
Listen.
We never publish things that aren't factual.
We avoid making definite claims, hint at things,
and craft the story vaguely and subtly,
based only on facts.
Look, we never said she had an affair.
We only write "There's a suspicion"
or "This tip came in."
Reporters only go this far.
How it's interpreted is up to the reader.
No wonder you're a department head. You're quite the speaker.
Oh, I almost forgot.
Yeah.
Hey, Phillip.
You still haven't hung up?
What? The call was recorded?
What he said about crafting the story vaguely and subtly was recorded.
Wow, what he said about hinting at things was recorded?
-Did you just-- -Yes.
Right.
Like the department head said, I'm an ignorant fool.
I forgot to hang up while carrying the flowerpot.
Keep that recording handy.
Jae-gyu.
Hey, Attorney Choi. You had something to say on legal grounds?
Come over here.
Yes, my phone.
Hey, come over here.
-Here. -Oh.
Hello.
I'm Choi I-jun, the legal counsel for Ms. Jeong Nan-hee
and Ms. Yoon Bom, and the head of Choi I-jun Law Office.
Regarding malicious reporting on Ms. Yoon Bom,
we submitted a request for a preliminary injunction.
Hey, make sure to submit the call recording as evidence.
If any report is released before the court reaches a decision,
we'll file a petition with the Press Mediation Committee
to pursue all legal measures,
including corrections, rebuttals and claims for damage.
If the report contains false information,
we'll consider filing a criminal complaint for defamation
under relevant laws.
Seems like you're busy, so let's just leave it at that.
Attention. Say bye.
Good work.
Good work. Bye.
They're gone. Come out.
Man, talk about bad luck.
Some thug and a smug know-it-all show up as a package deal.
What do we do?
At this point, we've got two choices.
Either keep it quiet and move on,
or go all out and turn it into a full-blown mess.
How did it go?
I met with the reporter and put in a preliminary injunction.
That means we can stop the article, right?
A preliminary injunction is a court request to stop the article,
but it doesn't guarantee the story won't come out.
What kind of law works like that?
So if the article gets out,
the victim is supposed to sit there and take it?
Seriously, this is ridiculous.
Who was that?
Sun Jae-gyu?
Jae-gyu put in a lot of effort today.
If the article doesn't come out or this situation is resolved well,
it'll all be thanks to him.
Just so you know. I'll be in touch later.
Why? What did Attorney Choi say?
Say something already.
Hey, there you go.
You can do it if you put in the effort.
Just keep it up like this, okay?
I seriously worked hard for this test.
The kid who's always top of your class,
I bet he's crying his eyes out right now,
since you finally beat him for the first time.
Come on, who cares about him on such a great day?
Hey, Grade 1 student.
Today, I'm buying premium ribeye for you!
-Mom. -Yes?
I'm stepping out for a moment.
Aren't you going to have beef? Where are you going?
Hey, Grade 1 student!
Two steak and cheese subs, please.
Make that with low-sugar onion sauce.
Sure, coming right up.
Why?
You lost your appetite after losing to me?
That's not it.
I passed on premium Korean beef to grab a sandwich with you.
What did you say last time?
"Studying is a stamina game."
"If you just sit here upset, how are you going to beat me?"
Are you happy getting first place?
Honestly, I love it,
minus feeling bad toward you.
It feels great being praised by my mom and dad,
and it's thrilling to see my classmates jealous.
But the best part?
Realizing hard work pays off.
It feels like the world notices it.
Se-jin.
-Listen... -What?
Never mind.
You look really pretty when you smile.
Come on.
I'm pretty whether I'm smiling or not.
What are you doing? Have some.
The sauce is really good.
Okay.
It's good.
Geez, you ran just ten minutes.
No wonder you guys come in last with stamina like that.
Mr. Jeong, I'm 24th.
Kim Min-guk came in last.
All right, listen. What we need right now isn't training, it's refueling.
Let's eat up.
My goodness,
your mom's wrists got worn out from changing your diapers, but for what?
Her back got bent from carrying you around, but for what?
Wait, stop.
Why are you bringing up our mom?
I'm saying this because your grades are worse than Han-gyul's,
who marked number three on every question.
He marked three for every question?
Then he's the one who should be in trouble.
-Why are we getting scolded? -Exactly.
You little brats, where do you think you're going?
Let's go together!
What was that about?
Sun Han-gyul.
Did you mark only number three on the tests?
Is that true?
Se-jin.
The thing is...
-Let me explain why-- -Was it because of me?
I said, was it because of me?
If you're asleep, fine.
If not, just listen.
Regarding Ms. Bom,
I'll take care of all the legal matters, so don't worry.
And about what I said
in front of Ms. Jeong before...
I didn't really mean that.
To someone like you, friendship
probably means nothing, like the air you barely notice.
But...
to me,
you were...
my only friend.
The only way I could come to terms
with my one and only friend running off with my money
was to convince myself
that you were the one who set that house on fire.
That was the only way I could hate you, and the only way...
your betrayal would make sense to me.
Did you say "betrayal"?
You weren't sleeping?
I didn't betray you. You did.
Me?
That night...
as I ran out of the burning house...
I went straight to you.
Everything went blank, and all I could think of was you.
Sun Jae-gyu?
You've been coming home late every day.
I heard you've been hanging out with that kid.
His dad's an alcoholic,
and his only sister has a child with no father.
Geez.
Now that I think about it, you said before you didn't need a car...
He's not my friend.
Why would I hang out with a kid like that?
That'd be beneath me.
I just felt a little pity for him,
that's all.
-Right? -Of course.
To make life at school easier,
I've got to make friends with those kids.
He isn't my friend,
so don't worry.
-Let's go. -Okay, let's go.
He's not my friend.
I just felt a little pity for him.
That's all.
I put the money I stole to good use.
I got a place to stay
and took Han-gyul to the hospital when he was sick.
I worked like crazy
so I wouldn't look pathetic.
And so you'd never run your mouth like that again
if we ever crossed paths,
I kept my distance from everyone and focused on Han-gyul,
doing nothing but making money.
Wow.
Feels like I finally got an apology.
What?
Then that means I was your friend too,
if it hurt you that much to hear we weren't friends that you ran away.
Does that matter right now?
It does.
Whether you used the money to go to college or to raise Han-gyul,
I was okay as long as you figured out a way to live.
I had saved that money for you in the first place,
but back then, I didn't really have a choice to get the money from my father.
As long as I could get that money,
bad-mouthing you to my dad?
I would've done it...
a hundred times, a thousand times, without hesitation.
The boss is here.
Attention, salute!
Victory!
At ease!
All clear while on duty!
-Welcome back! -Boss!
At ease!
Why here?
Stay with her.
Tonight isn't going to be easy
for Ms. Bom.
-What about you? -I need to go check on someone
who'd probably be having a hard time without me tonight.
My favorite actor, Jeong Nan-hee.
Whatever.
Here, keep this.
Bye.
Will this size fit me?
My little baby.
Bom-sik, did you wait for me?
Was everything all right?
Well...
I was fine with the jiu jitsu people around.
Was everything all right for you too?
Oh, man.
I've only been in the countryside. I'm kind of clueless.
We went to the company and talked to the reporter.
But apparently,
stopping an article legally is pretty hard.
Thank you for making the effort.
Well, it's possible
the article will come out tomorrow.
Perfect.
Let's stay up all night and have fun, the three of us.
Let's leave tomorrow for tomorrow.
Let's do the stuff we didn't get to do, eat whatever we want,
and just have fun, okay?
Sure.
Bom-sik, where should we go?
Bom-sik's so adorable.
Bom-sik's got long legs.
"Bom-sik's got long legs."
Wow, you're good.
Bom-sik's a tough guy.
Moisture check, perfect.
Digestion's great. He's healthy.
You're good.
-Bom-sik, can you turn? -There you go.
-Good boy. -Wow, good job.
Bom-sik, did you turn?
You're a genius, Bom-sik.
Look, it's right there.
Oh, boy.
Oh, my gosh! Our Bom-sik is a genius.
My gosh, good boy.
You love it?
Bom-sik.
Slice it right down the middle.
Wow.
Now, in it goes.
Okay.
In the preheated pan, put some cooking oil.
Give it two clockwise circles.
Now toss the green onions in.
In they go.
Let them crisp up a little.
Mix them together so they're combined well.
Let me try.
-What? -I want to give it a try.
Hang on.
Let me try one more time. Again.
Hold on.
Geez, no way.
Now, have a seat. Sitting still makes things easier.
Here you go.
Thanks for the food.
How is it?
It tastes just like yukgaejang, right?
This hits the spot. It's way better than the store-bought ones.
Yes, eat up.
This is spot-on.
Bom-sik, there you go.
You want to keep playing?
What are you thinking about?
Mom.
MOM
Hello?
Don't hang up, just listen.
Turn off your phone now.
Don't search, don't text, don't read any comments.
It'll feel way more unfair
than you imagine.
One insult will cut deeper
than a hundred words of support. And...
that one insult
will eat away at your heart.
Even so, brace your core and stand up tall.
Don't skip meals because you don't have an appetite.
Even if you feel sick or nauseous, chew something.
Tonight, you probably won't get a wink of sleep.
In moments like this, having someone around helps you stay sane.
Tell that Sun Jae-gyu guy or whoever
to stay with you if you need him to.
If only you'd been born into an ordinary family.
Of all people, you ended up with a mom like me.
I'm hanging up now.
Now I see...
Mom must've had nights like this all the time.
Oh, man, I can't fall asleep.
I'll just keep playing with Bom-sik.
Ms. Bom, try to get some sleep like your mother said.
Tomorrow,
it might become a long day.
Grandma.
Look at this.
What the heck does it say?
So it says when Ms. Bom was in Seoul...
-Did Ms. Bom get involved in this? -Really?
"An affair with a parent"?
His wife stormed in during class and even slapped her?
Oh, my goodness.
Why? What's going on?
She's actress Jeong Nan-hee's daughter?
Jeong Nan-hee?
You mean that famous lady on TV?
I don't think I can see her face.
What is it?
Have you guys seen Ms. Bom today?
No, I haven't.
I haven't.
Ms. Bom.
Bom...
And as a teacher, I feel so ashamed.
Even if you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do.
But I hope you do.
I'm sorry, Mom. Please listen to me this time.
Both Ms. Bom and I will be going to Seoul.
Is it time already?
What you're doing right now is very dangerous.
It's our last night. So why not be a little dangerous?
Something sparkly.
Hey, Sun Jae-gyu!
Mr. Sun?
You're here, Ms. Bom?
Translated by UGKim