A VIRTUOUS BUSINESS
[Geum-hui] Where should I begin?
I…
loved the son of the servant who grew up with me since childhood.
Becoming pregnant with you turned the family upside down,
and he took off in the end.
I left the house in order to protect you.
It was my first time experiencing poverty,
but it was also my first time experiencing happiness.
What?
Did the briquette go out?
Mommy will go and get briquettes.
[gasps] Baby!
[baby crying]
[crying]
He needs a surgery.
Please help me with the medical bills.
-Father… -[baby crying]
Send him off well.
Make sure no one sees you.
Yes, sir.
[Geum-hui] They promised to pay for your medical treatments
and send you to a family friend if I gave you up.
In the end,
it was my decision.
The reality I'd face upon opening the door
scared me.
I'll go and take care of Min-ho.
Okay.
Are you okay?
Is this…
What are you doing here?
There's something I want to say.
I feel like…
I didn't get to say what I really wanted to tell you.
I'm sorry.
[whimpers]
I'm sorry.
It's all Mommy's fault.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry.
[sobbing]
[sobbing continues]
[sighs]
Ms. Han Jeong-suk.
[Jeong-suk] I went to yours, but you weren't home.
Did you have a good talk?
[sighs]
-[grunts] Did the newspaper arrive? -Yes, it's here.
-Here. Taste it. -Okay.
Gosh, it tastes amazing.
[chuckles] Really?
You know, about Do-hyeon…
Tell him to come by often.
He should start eating his mom's tasty dishes.
[sighs]
Okay.
I'll tell him so.
[both chuckle]
Good morning.
-Hello. -Good morning, Ju-ri.
Geum-hui, you look so cheerful today.
Did something good happen?
Yes.
I found my son.
Mmm.
[water trickling]
It's Detective Kim Do-hyeon.
[gasps, stammers]
Detective Kim Do-hyeon is your son?
Goodness gracious.
So… [clears throat]
…it is not part of Drama Game
but your story, right?
Stop asking.
I asked her five or six times back home too.
My goodness, Ms. Oh.
All these years, you couldn't tell anyone.
It must've been so hard on you.
I'm so glad that you found your son.
Thank you.
I was worried that you'd judge me.
Why would we judge you?
As you know, I'm a single mom.
And my husband is an ex-con.
I got divorced because my husband had an affair.
My life is full of drama, to say the least.
[chuckles]
That's right. We… How should I put it?
That's right. We've shared our wounds with each other.
So, we'll be closer friends from now on. [laughs]
[chuckles]
How do you feel?
It doesn't feel real yet.
[Yeong-bok] I bet it doesn't.
But you'll slowly realize that you actually found your son.
-Right? -Yes.
[Yeong-bok] My goodness, how great.
-Detective. -[Do-hyeon] Hello.
It's your son.
He must've come to walk you home.
Hi.
Hello.
Come on, nobody bows so politely to his mom.
You guys should welcome each other more affectionately.
That's right. You should go,
"Hey, you're here!"
Then he'd go, "Yes, Mother."
Hurry up and do it.
Hey, you're here!
Yes, M…
M…
[stammers]
Shall we go?
Gosh, it's late. Let's hurry up and go.
-We'll get going. -Bye.
Oh, is there anything you want to eat?
Why don't the three of us get dinner?
Dinner?
I'll eat at home today.
[Jeong-suk] Oh…
But it'd be nice to eat together.
No, my husband will be home soon.
The two of you should enjoy your date.
[Jeong-suk] See you tomorrow.
[sighs]
What? You're home early.
Why didn't you have dinner with Do-hyeon?
It'd have brought you guys closer.
I'm taking it slow.
I'll have plenty of chances to eat with him.
You're right. Let's go inside.
[Dae-geun, Ju-ri laughing]
[Ju-ri] That's so cute.
-Aw. [laughing] -[laughing]
[Dae-geun] Why?
-All the photos look amazing. -Really?
I want to frame all of them.
It's because the model is beautiful.
It's because the photographer is talented.
[both chuckle]
CHARMING HAIR SALON
FOR LEASE
[sighs] I didn't know she'd lease it right away.
You must be very upset.
No.
I checked out a unit in Oksan. It's okay.
Uh… I'll use this opportunity to take over Oksan.
[Ju-ri chuckles]
You walk me home every day,
but get going first today.
It's okay. I'll walk you home.
Come on. It's late.
You have a hard time waking up in the morning.
What if you're late to work?
If you keep insisting, I'll walk you home.
What? Okay.
Get home safely.
-Get home safely. -Okay.
Bye.
-Go first. -You go first. [laughing]
You go first.
-Go on. -Get home.
-Get home safely. -You too.
That's right. One hotteok is Dae-geun's.
WONBONG PHARMACY
What?
It weighs on your mind, right?
What?
It looks like you're thinking about it.
Right.
To be honest, I wanted to have dinner with her.
But I worried that it might pressure her.
Did we look awkward in your eyes as well?
Yes.
But…
it's natural to be awkward.
You two have been apart for 30 years.
I think it will come with time.
Right?
Yes.
Thankfully, the two of you have enough time to become close.
[Hyeon-sik] You don't have much time.
It's next week.
You'll be transferred to the Cold Cases Team.
It's so sudden.
There's a case that involves a missing child,
so they asked for you specifically.
It must be because you solved the serial kidnapping case.
[sighs]
I thought that it was unfortunate
that you'd have to move to Seoul right after finding your mother,
but I also remembered
that solving the previous case got you interested in missing children cases.
Yes. You're right, but…
Think about it.
Since the case also involves international adoption,
they really need someone who can speak English.
[grunting]
Oh.
[stammers] I'm sorry. I had a stomachache this morning.
It took me a while, right?
It must stink in there.
Oh.
-[groans] -Oh.
It's okay.
There's something I want to ask.
What?
[Won-bong] It has been a few days.
Although Dae-geun doesn't look it,
he has lived his entire life as the son of a rich family, so it must be hard.
Ms. Heo asked me to kick him out of the pharmacy as well,
but I'm stalling time.
[sighs]
My goodness.
[exclaims]
[groans]
My goodness.
It looks tasty.
[door opens]
I'm not exactly happy to see your face.
You'll be happy to hear what I have to say.
What is it?
Did you decide to break up with him?
Yes.
I'll end the relationship.
Really? Do you mean it?
Now we're talking.
You made the right decision. [chuckles]
But there's a condition.
A condition? Do you mean another one on top of giving you back the hair salon?
Yes.
Ju-ri.
I was going to give it to you tomorrow.
But I can give it to you today.
It's a present.
It would've been better if I had used a tripod.
-Next time, I-- -No.
There'll be no next time.
I came here to break up with you.
What?
Let's break up.
What are you talking about?
[chuckles] You're joking, right?
Why would we break up?
Wait, is this because of your hair salon?
I know that it's hard, but if we hold out--
Then what?
What if Ms. Heo doesn't budge?
What can you do then?
I'm sure you understand.
Ju-ri.
I know that I'm incompetent and lacking.
I know that it's selfish of me to ask you to stay.
[crying] But I can't live without you.
Please don't do this, Ju-ri.
Ju-ri.
[crying continues]
[sobbing]
So 21 vibrators. How about thongs?
We have 15 pink ones, 16 black ones,
and seven pearl-encrusted ones.
We have seven boxes of condoms.
By the way, is something up with Ju-ri?
She said there was an important matter and promised to tell us later.
-I see. -[phone ringing]
Please hold on.
Hello, this is Fantasy Lingerie.
Do-hyeon.
I see.
Okay.
You have a date, right?
We'll wrap up here, so you can go ahead.
Do-hyeon has something to say to you and me.
He wants to dine with us at home.
-Me too? -Yes.
My goodness, you're the one who should get off work early.
Gosh, had I known…
Don't I look too shabby? [sighs]
You look beautiful.
-Ms. Oh, you're always beautiful. -Oh, no.
-[exclaims] My heart is fluttering. -[chuckles]
She must be so happy.
[gasps]
So once you decide,
you'd need to leave next month?
Yes. [grunts]
So I wanted to discuss it with the two of you.
It'll take at least two years,
or it could be longer.
What do you think?
What?
You don't have to ask for my permission.
You should do what you want.
Jeong-suk, what do you think?
What do I think?
I think this is wrong.
Pardon?
Of course, you should go. It's meaningful work.
But the two of you shouldn't part when you're still so awkward.
Let's do a project in this week.
A project?
Yes. "Get Close Quickly Project."
PROTECTING GEUMJE LIVES AND SAFETY
Wait.
Hello.
It's packed lunch.
I see. Thank you.
Make sure you eat slowly, okay?
[sighs]
[Jeong-suk] Chapter One. The highlight of the school days.
Eating Mom's packed lunch.
[Geum-hui] Here.
Ah.
It's an umbrella.
Why is it raining so suddenly?
It's raining.
[Jeong-suk] Chapter Two.
Mom coming to pick you up on a rainy day.
Chapter Three.
Having a drink with Mom.
Let me pour you a drink.
-Cheers. -Okay.
Jeong-suk, aren't you going to have a glass?
I'm the server today.
I'll bring more liquor.
I'll do it.
[Do-hyeon] I won't eat it. No.
-Why not? -What's wrong?
[Do-hyeon] I don't want to.
He's refusing to eat the carrots in the whelk dish.
I told him to eat it for his health, but he said no.
What is he, a child?
You picked out the crown daisy when we had the fish cake soup.
The crown daisy is only a decoration in the fish cake soup.
I think carrots are a decoration in all dishes.
Nonsense!
I eat this dish because of the carrots.
I eat this dish because of the crown daisy.
Goodness, he has to have the last word, doesn't he? [sighs]
I got permission to sleep outside, but it feels very strange.
-[both chuckle] -Same here.
When I first started working at your place,
I never imagined that we'd become so close.
That's right.
Life is full of surprises.
I was a bit difficult when you first met me, right?
No. It wasn't just a bit. You were very difficult.
What? Geez.
[both laugh]
You also changed a lot.
At first, you were like, "Gosh, no." [chuckling]
-You were so coy. -[chuckles]
Now, you know how to be jokey.
I guess I've become very comfortable around you.
Oh, right.
What's the next item for our project?
It's over.
-What? -I saw you argue with Do-hyeon
and realized the two of you became close enough.
Now, you can spend time together without forcing things.
[sighs]
You think so?
Yes.
So, I'll focus on work starting tomorrow.
-Okay. -[both chuckle]
By the way, Yeong-bok said she'd be a bit late tomorrow.
That's right.
Tomorrow is the day, right?
Eun-ji, you aren't whining at all today.
Are you aware that your dad is coming home today?
[Eun-ji coos]
Are you?
Yeong-bok.
[grunting, moaning]
Ow!
Does it hurt?
Kick this side too.
Hold on a second.
Forget it. You need to walk home.
Eat this.
Don't have any funny thoughts from now on.
Your first goal is to repay Ms. Oh's family for their kindness.
Of course.
Your second goal
is to assist me with all your heart.
Like the fortune teller said, I'll restore the family fortunes.
Okay.
I'll do my best so you don't have to worry about
the household chores or the kids.
Hand Eun-ji over to me and get going.
-Here. -Forget it.
You got discharged today. Aren't you tired?
I don't have the right to be tired.
Eun-ji, come to Dad.
Come to Dad. Come here.
-All right then. -Come here.
Slowly. Is she sleeping? All right.
-Gosh, my baby. -All right.
Do it slowly.
You need to take this off first.
-She can't breathe. -There you go.
[Yeong-bok exclaims]
We're almost sold out.
We should restock the condoms and slip dresses.
Okay. I'll talk to the director.
We'll be rich at this rate.
Ju-ri, are you really okay?
You seem too fine for someone who's going through a breakup.
We didn't date for very long.
I'm too busy to dwell on it.
[Yeong-bok sighs]
[grunts]
It's the best camera for photography students.
Practice taking photos with it and go back to school next semester.
Okay?
Dae-geun.
Are you listening to me?
What? Okay.
I'm letting you study what you want.
Why are you so down like wet clothes in the rain?
What's wrong? Aren't you happy?
I'm happy.
Thank you, Mom.
I thought he'd be okay after a few days.
How long will he be like that?
Was it the love of the century?
[sighs]
[Ju-ri] But there's a condition.
What is it?
Let Dae-geun
go back to studying photography.
What?
So letting Dae-geun study photography is your condition
for breaking up?
Have you ever seen him take photos?
His eyes sparkle when he does it.
He'll definitely become successful.
[Dong-u exclaims]
Gosh, I'm dead.
Are you dead?
Hello, Ms. Landlord.
Your mom will scold you if you play the game like that.
My mom lets me do whatever I want to do most of the times.
[laughs] My goodness, how kind of your mom.
I don't let my children do something if I don't think it's right.
I'm iron-willed like that.
Still, there's no parent who can win against the child.
The one who loves the other one more is bound to be weaker.
[scoffs]
[laughs] My goodness.
[sighs]
WONBONG PHARMACY
Ju-ri!
Ju-ri! [cheering]
[Jeong-suk] It's yulmu tea.
Oh. I don't know if I can drink it because I ate too much.
I'm glad you liked the food.
You're leaving tomorrow, so I wanted to make you a delicious meal.
I'm beginning to feel disappointed.
What?
I'm leaving,
but you seem unbothered.
I'm sad about each passing day.
I've never felt so happy and stable in my life.
Same here.
But I want to be positive.
Uh… I decided to use this opportunity to focus more on work,
so it isn't so upsetting.
[chuckles]
[Min-ho] It's a lie.
What?
Mom cried yesterday too.
Mom, is Mister really leaving?
Yes.
So we're going to say goodbye tomorrow.
Make sure you don't cry.
Why?
He's leaving for important business.
If we cry,
his heart will ache.
Even if you're disappointed and sad…
[crying] …hold back your tears, okay?
Mom, are you crying?
No, I'm not crying.
[crying]
Oh, I didn't cry.
I had something in my eyes.
Mister, here.
What's this?
It's my farewell gift.
A gift?
Gonggi and ddakji.
Those are your most favorite items.
Once you move to Seoul, you won't have me or Mom.
You'll be bored.
Right.
Thank you.
Can I give you a hug?
You can call me if you're bored.
Okay.
Come on. Give me a hug as well.
We have a lot of time.
Today is your day.
[Jeong-suk chuckles]
Thank you, Min-ho.
Once the investigation begins, I'll be busy
and might be unreachable.
It's okay.
Our brochures led to more orders.
I'll become very busy too.
Let's both live diligently…
and reunite as our cooler selves.
Okay.
I'll get going now.
[sighs, sniffles] Okay.
Drive safely.
Don't skip meals even if you're busy.
Okay.
Thank you.
See you later…
Mother.
Okay.
I'll be waiting.
Okay.
[sniffles, chuckles]
The payroll!
[Yeong-bok] How did this thief know
that today was payday?
Lately, there's been a burglar on the loose in a neighboring town.
Could it be the same person?
[sighs]
-I don't think a thief did this. -Then who?
The door was left intact.
This lock too. Most thieves cut the locks off.
Does anyone else know the combination?
Only we and Director Shin know it.
-Director Shin. -The director is coming today, right?
She said that she'd set off from the countryside in the afternoon.
Shouldn't we call the CEO's store in Seoul?
She should know about this.
-I'll make the call. -Okay.
[sighs, grunts]
[gasps]
What is it?
[stammers] The number is out of service.
-No way. -What does that mean?
What does that mean? What should we do?
Detective, what should we do?
Out of service? All of us will starve to death!
Please calm down.
[Geum-hui] So there was a store in Seoul,
but it went out of business?
Yes.
It happened a year ago.
It went out of business within a few months.
They must be professional swindlers.
That means the CEO was in on this scam.
But I don't understand.
If money was the purpose, why did they come to the countryside?
A big city would've made more sense.
I know, right?
They paid us regularly all this time.
Why did they only steal the last paychecks?
Still, the total must be a lot if we combine our paychecks.
[cries]
[sighs] The biggest problem is
that there are no products to sell.
Jeong-suk.
I'm really sorry, but…
may I head home first?
Oh. Okay. Go ahead.
Sure, get going.
The past few days must've been rough.
[sighs]
-Jeong-suk's completely dazed. -[door closes]
It's understandable.
She was the most passionate about this business.
I've never seen Jeong-suk like that.
Same here.
I can't believe it.
BRANCH MANAGER, HAN JEONG-SUK
[sighs]
[sniffles]
-[phone ringing] -[gasps]
Hello.
A dildo, right?
We're currently out of stock.
[customer] Then when can I buy it?
Well…
[crying] Well…
I don't know
when we will be able to sell it again! [wailing]
I'm sorry.
[continues wailing]
What the heck?
Why are you doing this to me?
What did I do so wrong?
Why did you backstab me? Why?
[wailing continues]
[phone ringing]
[grunts]
[sighs]
Hello.
[Geum-hui] It's me, Jeong-suk. Aren't you coming to work?
-What? -All of us are waiting.
Hurry up and come.
Oh, hey.
Oh, Jeong-suk.
-My goodness. -Hello.
I thought the office needed to be organized
for us to come up with a plan.
I took care of the monthly rent for the office.
Ms. Oh.
I met up with Detective Na yesterday and whined.
He'll work harder that way.
I made the facial composites of the CEO and Director yesterday.
I'll make copies and distribute them.
That's right. Yeong-bok is good at drawing.
I can draw well.
Let's see them.
Here.
This one is the director.
And this is the CEO.
What do you think?
We'll catch them in no time, right?
I'm not so sure about that.
What? Why are you laughing?
Why? They look spot-on.
I'm sorry.
You're all making an effort,
but I behaved like a child.
Don't say that.
You picked us up and kept us going whenever we fell.
You fell after charging forward as if your life depended on it.
This time, we'll pick you up.
That's right. Don't cry.
[phone rings]
-What? Please hold on. -Okay.
Hello?
This is Detective Na of Geumje Police Station.
Yes, Detective Na.
[all gasp]
I think CEO Kim Mi-ran might get caught soon.
-[gasps] -Really?
I called my colleague at Incheon Police Station.
They received a tip about seeing Kim Mi-ran in a motel alley.
They'll contact me when they catch her,
so please wait a bit longer.
I'm putting a lot of care into this case.
Okay. Thank you.
[gasp]
Will they get caught soon?
I think so.
I need to go.
There are many motels in Incheon.
What will you do there?
Still, I can't sit and wait.
I must know exactly what happened.
I'll be the one…
to wrap things up.
ONE WEEK LATER
Thank you.
[Jeong-suk] It's been a while, CEO Kim.
GOLD MOTEL
[Jeong-suk] Say something.
How much of it was true?
Was any of what you said the truth?
I bet you feel like it was a scam from the start.
But that isn't true.
I was certain about this business.
That was why I invested the money I saved up all my life as a saleswoman
and opened a store.
At first, people came out of curiosity, and the sales were good, but…
I don't know when it began,
but people began to write complaints about it being indecent.
They kept protesting and called it a menace to society.
In the end, people stopped coming.
I held out as much as I could,
but I had to close the business after six months.
[sighs] I wanted to die.
But I just couldn't end things like that.
That was why I went to a place where no one knew me.
[both grunting]
It's too hard to pull.
[straining]
-Wait! -What?
There won't be a crackdown here, right?
Of course not. The locals won't know what happened in Seoul.
No one knows us, so this place is perfect.
Let's hurry up and go.
Push. Come on.
Come on.
[Jeong-suk] And that place was Geumje?
-Yes. -[sighs]
Director Shin took over the internal tasks such as educating the employees.
During that time, I sold my car
and used the money to get the products.
You and the others did better than I expected.
I thought…
I thought that we'd get back up on our feet.
Then what?
The person who brought the products from abroad got arrested.
Someone must've made a report.
I'm on the run because the police want me for questioning.
Then what should we do now?
I don't know either!
[screams] Damn it!
By the way, shouldn't the world give an answer to that question?
What?
A desire isn't something to be embarrassed about.
What's embarrassing is expressing that desire in a dark and twisted way.
That's why I want to let it be expressed more openly.
Why do people keep stopping me?
There's no law for regulations,
so they're using the pharmaceutical and duty affairs to accuse us.
[knocking on door]
[officer] Ms. Kim Mi-ran, this is the police.
Geez!
-What? But… -[lock rattles]
[banging on door]
[officer] Ms. Kim Mi-ran, this is the police.
If you believe that this is the right path,
don't give up and find another way.
I'll do the same.
[banging continues]
[officer] If you don't open up in ten seconds, we'll break down the door.
Persevere. Let's meet again.
Oh! Are you really going to…
-[screams] -[screams]
[gasps]
[Mi-ran groaning]
-Oh. -[banging]
Where did she go this time?
[officer] She's running toward the intersection.
-Go and catch her. -Yes, sir.
By the way, who are you?
Well…
[Mi-ran] If you believe that this is the right path,
don't give up and find another way.
[Geum-hui] How was it?
Did it bring you to a fantastic world?
Yes.
[Ju-ri] We keep telling people to be honest,
but we should be honest first.
What's the desire in your heart?
[Jeong-suk] I'm confident about this business now.
GEUMJE ELECTRONICS
[presenter 1 on TV] Another candidate for first place,
"I Know" by Seo Taiji and Boys.
[crowd on TV cheering]
["I Know" playing]
[music continues playing]
[Do-hyeon] I think it'll still be a hit.
People who persevere even after going through the pain
that could destroy them tend to be successful in the end.
That's who he seems to be.
[presenter 2] Seo Taiji and Boys wins two weeks in a row with "I Know."
-[presenter 1] Congratulations! -[crowd on TV cheering]
[presenter 2] Mr. Seo, take the trophy.
It's a happy ending.
[presenter 2] Congratulations.
Please tell us how you feel.
[Seo Taiji] I'm over the moon.
Wow.
[presenter 1] There are a lot of people who keep breaking the mold.
[presenter 2] Yes. And what matters to them are
strength, bravery, and hope.
[presenter 1] Have a meaningful week chasing your dreams and goals.
We will wrap up today's Inkigayo
with Seo Taiji and Boys' "I Know."
-[both presenters] Thank you. -[cheering continues on TV]
4 YEARS LATER
[child] Look at those balloons!
-[person] Balloons? -[child] Yes, buy me balloons.
[person] Don't be absurd.
JEONG-SUK HAN SALES
[sighs]
[laughs]
-Welcome. -Welcome.
Congratulations.
-It's all thanks to President Han. -You're too kind.
What are those balloons?
I thought about bringing flowers
but decided on something more meaningful.
Like a balloon, I hope the business will grow
and take off.
Gosh, that's so thoughtful and romantic.
It isn't a romantic gesture for you.
-Read the room. We'll be outside. -[all laugh]
I'll leave you to it. We'll prepare for the event outside.
[Jeong-suk] Okay.
GRAND OPENING! JEONG-SUK HAN SALES
Thank you.
You did it in the end.
I said we should reunite as our cooler selves.
I finally kept that promise.
Do you need my help with anything?
Right.
Oh… It'd be nice if you could be our first customer.
We're offering discounts for the grand opening.
All right.
[stammers]
-[chuckles] -[sighs]
I was joking.
The opening ceremony will begin soon.
I'd be grateful if you could attend it.
The opening ceremony?
[sighs]
Jeong-suk, are you ready?
[sighs] This feels like the real beginning, so I'm nervous.
Everything will go well.
Of course. Four years have passed.
People's perception must've changed too.
-Right? -[chuckles]
All right. Get ready.
Pick up the scissors.
One, two,
three.
[all cheer]
-All right. -Congratulations.
[Won-bong] Congratulations.
Only good things will come your way.
The birth rate will skyrocket in Geumje.
Come on.
-[protester 1] Go away! -[protesters] Go away!
[protester 1] An immoral business and a menace to society, go away!
[protesters] Go away!
-Gosh, nothing has changed. -[protesters] Go away!
[protester 1] Let's drive away the family-wrecking menaces!
[protesters] Drive away!
We still have a long way to go.
Let's go inside for a bit.
-[Jeong-suk] No. -[protester 1] Go away!
[protesters] Go away!
I didn't come this far to back down.
[protester 1] Let's drive away the family-wrecking menaces!
[protesters] Drive away!
[protesters] Indecent business!
[chattering]
[gasp]
[chuckles]
[gasp]
If they block our path,
we can fly into the sky…
even if it takes time.
-Yes. -[chuckling]
That's right.
A VIRTUOUS BUSINESS
SPECIAL THANKS TO RA MI-RAN
Subtitle translation by: Park Dong-joo