Original subtitles

MELTING ME SOFTLY

THIS DRAMA IS FICTIONAL, AND NAMES,

LOCATIONS, COMPANIES,

AND INCIDENTS ARE UNRELATED TO REALITY.

So they're allowed to be on TV looking like that these days?

Dong-chan.

I'm free on Friday.

Shall we

meet up?

I plucked up the courage to ask.

Okay.

Let's meet.

You decide where.

I will.

EPISODE 4

Do we know each other?

Ko…

What's wrong with him?

It's impossible.

Even the voice too?

Oh, my gosh.

INBOX - 100047 MAILS

KYUNG-JA

HOW ARE YOU DOING? MI-RAN, I MISS YOU

Mi-ran.

I heard from your mom

that you went to the US.

Even so,

how could you leave without a word to us?

She's so heartless.

How could she do this to us?

It's not right.

You have her address, right?

Yes. Seoul, Seongdong-gu, Haengdang-dong--

No!

Her email address.

Oh, that?

- G… - Gosh.

- G. - O…

O.

Kyung-ja. Young-sun.

I miss you too.

REPLY

I must restore my vitality.

What for?

I've been

seeing things lately.

That's because your head's full of shit.

Why?

Is your latest fling too energetic?

You can't handle her without meds?

I don't date anymore. I quit women.

Old habits die hard.

A candy, please?

I bet the campus has changed a lot.

Can you manage?

You should take a break and recover first.

How much longer a break could I have?

You have a point.

You had a long break.

Mi-ran.

Take your time and don't overdo it.

Take things slow.

Dad.

Do you know how hard it is to find work?

I think it's worse than it was 20 years ago.

Why is that?

That's because there are fewer jobs for people.

Machines do a lot more.

Right. That must be it.

Nam-tae, you got so much smarter.

We have a pretty good life now.

You don't have to try so hard anymore.

Do the things you want to do.

We don't have to worry about

getting kicked out for not paying rent or being in debt,

and we can make a living without you having to earn money.

It might have been 20 years to you,

but it was just one night for me.

How can I change my mindset overnight?

I still feel like

I must work part-time to save up,

and I stay awake worrying about job hunting.

Anyway, when I think about how I was asleep for 20 years,

I'm too annoyed to sleep.

Then don't. You slept enough.

FEMALE PSYCHOLOGY

What's your major?

I'm Baek Young-jun, and I got into PE this year.

I hope we get along.

Hey. She's so my type.

Look at her sense of fashion that doesn't care what others think.

My gosh.

He knows a beauty when he sees one.

Gosh, that's bitter.

I'll teach abnormal behavior psychology this semester.

The name is Hwang Dong-hyuk.

- Professor! - Professor!

It's the guy I saw yesterday.

He's a professor?

What's wrong with him?

- Hello. - Hi.

You seem new.

- Do you have experience? - Well, yes.

I guess you could say that?

Okay. What shows did you direct?

Aren't you on the Varieties Department? Why else are you here?

Are you a variety show director?

The heck?

You don't know me?

Oh. Did someone high up hire you as a favor?

I see.

I'm Park Eung-soo.

You know Eat to Live, right?

I directed that.

Variety show directors… It's a tough career.

Yes, it looks fancy.

It looks easy. I bet it looks like a free, fun ride.

A free, fun what?

It's not. It's a battlefield minus the weapons.

- I know-- - It's a tough department.

Think again.

You must beg for funding to shoot abroad.

Do you know how hard that is?

Someone like me has no issues with product placement. But the others?

The stress kills them.

Directors secure funding themselves?

You're so naive.

If the director doesn't do that, who does?

Filming is a side job. Securing product placement's the main job.

Slack off.

It's not like you'll work hard

to get recruited to a cable channel, right?

By the way, you're pretty handsome for a director.

Let me have a look.

Does a director need this face?

Mine's not too shabby, but yours…

My gosh. This is just…

What are you doing?

Hello, chief.

Sir.

Hey. How did you train them up?

What did I do wrong now?

Him here.

His mindset's rotten to the core.

Darn you.

You really need to work on their work ethic first.

He told me to slack off.

How come everyone's like you?

I apologize, sir.

You.

What year did you join?

Tell me. You little…

Work properly.

Don't be a salary-stealer.

Where are you having a planning meeting?

Get a grip, everyone!

Do you think proposals like this would work in this day and age?

That's why you're called salary thieves and chair warmers!

Do you think we live 20 years in the past?

Even broadcasting stations go bankrupt these days!

We must work frantically just to stay afloat!

Why do you think it has come to this, chief?

What? Well, that's because…

Here's what I think.

The cause of that

is the head desk that never changes.

The bosses that lecture from behind their desks

are the biggest problem.

Don't they destroy creative talents

and curb their will to experiment and challenge the norms?

What are you on about? Sir.

You focus only on the ratings, so you always produce safe bets.

That's why every channel is airing similar stuff.

Is there anything the Korean viewers want to see these days?

They watch because they must,

purely because it's what is on TV.

Cable networks and YouTube. It's competitive out there.

How are we to survive with an old-fashioned mindset like that?

I watched TV for a few days until I felt like my eyes would pop out.

To figure out the current trend.

So, Ma Dong--

Anyway, do you have a solution? Sir?

I came up with a few ideas.

For example, an "observational" reality show.

It's a mix of entertainment and documentary.

Variety shows are, eventually, about showing what people are and like.

Celebrities will stay on an island

and prepare three meals a day with what they find and catch.

Three meals a day.

Shall I continue…

How about this, then?

Singers wear masks to hide their identities and have a singing contest.

King of Masked Singers?

That's a format that always works.

They'll be ranked and…

Why do you all look

so uninterested?

What's this?

Do you people not put sugar in soda now?

Are you trying to be funny?

What is this flavor?

So, Freud said

we have three urges which are to eat, to have sex,

and to defecate, and based on those,

he analyzed dreams. Okay?

So,

through dreams, we can understand the secretive subconscious.

I bet that's what Hwang Byung-shim would be like now.

Being conscious

of the subconscious is Freud's…

This is so darn boring.

I slept for 20 years and I'm still sleepy?

The goal is to identify that.

Gosh. That'll be all for today.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Thank you. - Bye.

- Hey, you. Wait. - Professor.

You haven't sent out the syllabus yet.

What?

This is nice.

This must go up.

Dong-chan.

We need to hide your real identity,

so in public, even if I talk down to you,

- I hope-- - Sure.

In private, I'll still abuse you. Do you mind?

As if that's new.

Why bother asking?

By the way, Hyun-ki, you did a lot of growing up.

Well, I do turn 50 soon.

Saying that to me now is…

Right. You got old too.

Yes.

It's not that easy for me to treat you without reserve.

That can't be. You do it effortlessly.

- I never cared about hierarchy. - Right.

That's why I'm able to treat you so freely now.

Regardless of age, anyone who talks crap makes me furious.

Right. Then and now, you don't seem to care about respect.

I guess so.

Dong-chan.

I'll say this for your sake,

so don't be offended.

What is it? Speak freely.

I thought about it,

and I think when your brain got frozen,

your ideas got frozen too.

You're so out of touch.

What? I'm out of touch?

Are you serious right now?

You told me to speak freely.

Yes, speak freely! Did I complain?

What the heck?

I plucked up the courage to talk to you about this.

"In these ever-changing times, you must find out

what the viewers want to watch, not the bosses,

if you want to succeed."

That's what you said to me 20 years ago when I was an assistant director.

And it's what I want to say to you now.

You don't stand a chance here if you don't do that.

Okay. I'll try harder.

You know better than anyone

how sensitive a job it is to be a variety show director these days.

You can't go with the times. You must be ahead of--

I got it, okay?

I need some time too.

You know I do what I set my mind to.

- Hello? - I'm Ko Mi-ran.

Ko Mi-ran?

How did you get my…

My phone wasn't working, so I gave her your number.

Why are you stuttering?

- Did you do something wrong? - No.

Hello?

Based on my memorandum, I demand a meeting with the TV station.

Let's meet in a week.

- Shoot. - Oh, no.

- Are you listening? - Yes, I am. I'm listening.

Let's talk in person.

Just us two?

No. I want everyone related to the TV station including you present.

Mr. Kim.

What is it this time?

Ko Mi-ran wants to meet us.

- What? - And…

she mentioned a memorandum.

I don't know what that is.

A memorandum?

A memorandum…

Sir, do you know how hard it was to persuade Director Ma

to take on the experiment?

He's basically putting his life on the line.

It was a hard call for a lowly director.

I considered things from every angle,

and it's a fool-proof experiment, so I talked him into it.

VARIETIES DEPT. CHIEF KIM HONG-SEOK

Sir, if this works out,

it won't just improve our station's standing,

but it'll also be a great plus to your future political career.

Yes.

I'll come up to see you later.

Yes, sir. Bye.

Ms. Ko Mi-ran?

Welcome.

Have a seat.

You don't have to worry about that.

I'll persuade Director Ma.

I'm sure he's just worried now that you've decided to do it.

Will you do it?

Yes. I'll do it.

Good.

It'll be the most useful experience when you job hunt.

Like the first astronaut,

you'll be the first cryogenic human.

Gosh.

That's all fine.

Okay.

Let's sign

a memorandum.

A memorandum?

Doctor, do you know who I am?

It's Ki-bum. Cho Ki-bum.

I assisted you.

"Assist"?

Yes.

You did it, doctor.

Freezing people worked.

Not for 24 hours but for 20 years.

It was a success.

Frozen people?

Do you remember anything, doctor?

- Fro… - Fro…

Frozen ice cubes in water, please.

Okay.

I swear

to help you recover your memories.

That's how we'll solve everything.

Don't eat it. It's not a snack, doctor.

Calm down.

- Look at me, doctor. - Darn this.

No. Bear with it.

Follow this with your gaze.

Clench your fist.

Slowly.

Use more force.

Come on, put some strength into it.

Go away!

Hwang.

Don't do that.

Is this what you edit with these days?

This is amazing.

Don't you feel cold?

Layer up if you do. I can't take any more off.

This was the greatest event of 2002.

We reached the semis of the FIFA World Cup.

Just for you, I put all this together myself.

A history digest of the past 20 years.

You left out the most important stuff.

Director Ma's cryogenic experiment.

"Ma Dong-chan. Where did he disappear to?"

This is incredible. A Black man was US president?

In the meantime, we had a female president.

Now, she's having a hard time in an uncomfortable place.

Our current president is Moon Jae-in.

Who's the US president?

Trump.

Ex-property tycoon.

The world really has changed, hasn't it?

Anyway, who's this woman?

That woman?

The woman I had the affair with.

Why are you showing her to me?

What does she have to do with history?

I just thought you should know.

- Why? - I direct variety shows.

Even an edited clip should stand out.

My gosh…

Isn't she pretty?

What must I do now to avoid becoming like you?

First, buy a phone.

That's the Tetris Dance.

We met when I filmed her--

Don't say another word.

Okay.

You feel cold?

So the Newsroom Chief got him the job?

I'm positive.

You heard him say Three Meals a Day and King of Masked Singer.

He doesn't even know the basics.

Chief Son couldn't say a word.

He looked so flustered.

Does the newsroom chief have that much clout?

I heard another story.

Did you hear a variety show director

mysteriously vanished 20 years ago?

- Yes. - Yes.

Who doesn't know that?

It's our department's urban legend.

I heard that guy is that guy.

No way.

If he joined 20 years ago,

he'd have been at least 26.

That means he'd be 46 now.

Did you see the guy's face?

He's aged 30 at most.

Yes. That's preposterous.

It's not.

He was in the news for a while after he disappeared,

but then a press ban was issued. The reference files all vanished.

But so many had watched it by then,

so files circulated in secret.

He's the director who disappeared.

Hey.

You know you could get fired for saying that, right?

Watch what you talk about.

That director apparently was a legendary figure.

The brain wave genius.

An ending typical of an urban legend.

God… He's just so handsome.

I'd love to work with him as his assistant director.

It proves the job was a favor.

What director looks like that?

Right. They should look like you.

By the way,

what do you think Mi-ran will do to us?

I don't know.

I have a bad feeling about it.

It's not good.

Leslie Cheung died on April Fools' Day.

As if it were a lie.

I don't remember anything!

Fifty thousand won…

Dear viewers.

- How are you? - How are you?

Run, Mr. Quick.

- That's… - Hey, look.

Gosh. What's that up there?

It's called a drone.

- A drone? How much do they cost? - That's…

Are you hot, baby?

There are dogs everywhere.

Frozen squid.

Thawed squid.

Frozen dumplings. Thawed ones.

Thawed.

That's just thawed.

Do you remember anything, doctor?

Doctor.

You must remember who were in there.

They both woke up, but if you don't recover your memories,

they'll be in danger.

My goodness.

She's here.

MEMORANDUM

Hello.

I turn 46 this year.

I'm Ko Mi-ran.

I'm 48 years old.

Take turns reading the memorandum.

Did you read it?

Yes, well…

I know the predicament you're in,

and I also know what your intent is.

The broadcasting station is very regretful

about what happened,

and we offer a heartfelt apology--

Look.

I'm not here for a stupid apology.

I don't need it. An apology won't cut it!

It wouldn't ever.

Sorry.

I demand compensation.

Back in 1999, for being frozen for 24 hours,

I was paid 6.5 million won.

Right, director?

Wasn't it five million won?

I covered 1.5 million.

I see.

Then let's say it was five million won for 24 hours.

That's 200,000 won per hour.

And one year is 8,760 hours.

For one year, you owe me 1.752 billion won.

So for 20 years…

- What? - Is it running out of battery?

What's wrong?

Let me.

Hurry up.

This is…

Thirty-five billion and 40 million won?

You heard him.

That's the amount.

Of course, this was 20 years ago,

so we should consider the inflation over 20 years.

Which means…

Twenty years ago, a bus ride cost 500 won, but it's double that now.

Drop the small number.

Take that off and…

Seventy billion won?

Seventy billion won.

You must pay me 70 billion won.

Listen, Ms. Ko.

I acknowledge you must feel upset and wronged,

but 70 billion won is not a small sum. That's--

We can't come up with that much even if we sell the company.

Are things that bad?

Don't make it sound like we're a corner store! You're worrying her.

Silence!

I think

it's a joke to value 20 years of my life

at just 70 billion won,

but we need a reasonable solution.

If not for that experiment that day!

Ms. Ko!

Could you please keep it down?

I would be living happily with a normal family.

Do you get that?

Listen, Mi-ran. We'll do our best

to see what we can do.

Could you please bear with us?

Mi-ran, we'll think of various modes of compensation to alleviate your grudge.

But let's be honest. Seventy billion won

won't make up for the lost 20 years, nor bring those years back.

But let's think about it from another perspective.

To be honest,

you get to be 20 years younger

- as you go through life. - Right.

- You survived. - Yes.

In a much better world than you left behind,

you get to live and enjoy life again.

Right?

Do you want to be frozen for 20 years too?

Say that after trying it for yourself.

Cool down.

What should we do about this?

She's not just a psycho. She's a total nutjob.

Why did you bring her in?

Who'd do that kind of experiment other than a nutjob like that?

This is a serious problem.

How do we solve it?

I thought I could smooth things over

by offering her my severance pay.

- How about… - Yes?

…we reveal everything

and be judged by the law and the public?

What on earth is in that head of yours?

Fried noodles?

They're here.

Let's go, Mi-ran. I'll drive you home.

No, thanks. I'll walk.

Get in.

I'm sure you haven't fully recovered yet.

I haven't.

I ache all over.

Gosh. That car still works?

- Isn't that something? - It is.

If I hadn't been frozen for 20 years,

Leslie Cheung wouldn't have died.

What logic is that?

That's nonsense.

I told you he'd visit Korea a few days after the experiment, right?

You did.

I even promised to set up a meeting.

Yes.

If we'd met that day,

I'd have filled him with the will to live.

Thinking of me would've given him the energy to go on.

Then he wouldn't have ended his life like that.

What? That's ridiculous.

If you put it like that, if you weren't frozen in the capsule,

couldn't you have died in a car crash?

This is unbelievable.

How could you say that?

That's possible according to your logic.

No one knows what could've happened to you during 20 years.

Life isn't just full of good and great things.

Must you nitpick?

Then during those 20 years,

I could've won the lottery.

No, that would've never happened.

Why not? If I could've died in a car crash, why not win the lottery?

I was talking about probability.

I could've married Leslie Cheung.

Or with a real awesome guy…

My goodness.

Isn't it more likely

you would've met a weirdo than someone awesome?

If you analyze the data of your past.

On what grounds would you say that?

Did you include

my loser jerk of an ex in that data of yours?

See?

You said it yourself.

He's a loser jerk of an ex.

But--

Awesome guys are rare,

and what do you think the probability is that you'd meet one of…

What?

What's wrong?

Did putting the AC on do something to overheat the car?

- Oh, no. - Shoot.

Mi-ran.

Get out.

Get out and take a taxi.

Why won't it start?

That's weird.

Ko…

Mi-ran?

Are you Mi-ran?

Hello, professor.

My goodness.

Mom told me a lot about you.

- "Mom"? - Yes.

Ko Mi-ran is my mother.

Then,

your mother is…

She died in a traffic accident when I was 11.

She died at the scene.

Until the moment she died,

she yearned for only one man.

Do you know what she said before she died?

She said her one and only love was Hwang Byung-shim.

Oh, Mi-ran.

But

if she died at the scene of an accident,

how did she manage to say that?

Hey! What on earth are you doing

with a pot on the stove?

It's all burned!

Oh, my word.

What a mess.

Darn you!

That moron.

Screw you.

I'm sick of spam mail.

Who sent one this time?

"Mi-ran"?

Who's Mi-ran?

Mi… Mi-ran?

Kyung-ja, it's Mi-ran.

My gosh. Ko Mi-ran?

Sorry for reaching out so late.

I miss you so much.

Oh, my God, Mi-ran.

Hi, Kyung-ja.

I heard from Mi-ran.

From Mi-ran?

- Ko Mi-ran? - Yes.

She wants to meet.

My gosh. Where is she now?

Hey, Nam-tae.

Mi-ran.

Here.

MI-RAN, NAM-TAE

Did you bake this yourself?

It's tasty.

Mi-ran.

Also…

This.

If you

keep rubbing it,

it creates heat.

It's a hand warmer.

For a long time,

you felt cold.

Thank you.

I'll keep it in my hand all the time.

Good night then, Mi-ran.

You too.

Let's meet right away.

Kyung-ja.

Being here like this…

feels like 20 years ago.

It does.

Ha-young.

Do you remember?

You said

that after the experiment,

I might be cold as ice, and you feared that.

I think you've changed.

Not me.

I get it.

I'm sure my 20 years were so different from your 20 years.

I didn't spend a physical 20 years in reality,

so I couldn't change.

But you're different.

Do you still

consider me…

a woman

you could date?

Yes.

I do.

Where is she?

Let's see.

Young-sun, over there.

Isn't that Mi-ran?

My gosh. It's her.

- It's Mi-ran. - Mi-ran!

Mi-ran!

- Mi-ran! - Mi-ran.

- Mi-ran. - Mi-ran!

My gosh.

It's me.

- Kyung-ja. - Kyung-ja.

- Young-sun? - Young-sun.

Kyung-ja, Young-sun.

How could this be?

I know, right?

You haven't changed at all.

Guys.

- My word. - How could this be?

What did you do for 20 years that you never called?

I was busy in the US.

You meanie. You should've still called.

Are you married?

Not yet.

What about you?

Kyung-ja, you wanted to be a housewife.

I did back then.

I'm divorced.

I can't stand men now.

You'll have the shock of your life to hear who she's married to.

- Why? - You're better off not knowing.

"Oh, my gosh" is all I can say.

Hey.

Why did you suddenly disappear and stop calling?

Yes.

We'll let you know that we imagined all sorts of things.

Yes. Lots of scary things happened around that time.

Your mother told us that you'd gone to the US to study.

Hey.

How come you're exactly the same as 20 years ago?

Yes.

You're the same too.

Well, I did take good care of myself.

People do say I look just how I did in my 20s.

Oh, my gosh. You…

- I'm sick of hearing that. - You're in a whole other league.

- You haven't aged at all. - Yes.

You're just the same.

- Am I? - Yes.

Is it because I slept for 20 years?

What are you saying? You age even as you sleep.

What did you do?

Did you rely on some technology we don't know about?

Yes. Don't hide it. Tell us everything.

What did you do?

In the US, they use root cells--

It's stem cells, you idiot.

- Whatever. - You're so ignorant.

Using those cells, they can prevent aging.

They're researching a strange technology.

- Is that it? - Did you do that?

Is that what you did?

- Go on. - What is it?

I see you had good lives. I'm so grateful.

I need to go to the restroom.

Was she on preservatives for the past 20 years or something?

She did something in the US.

It's not Botox or cosmetic surgery. It wouldn't look like that.

But Korean cosmetic surgery's the best.

I know.

- She's definitely hiding something. - Right.

No matter how much medicine improved,

surgery and treatments alone can't do that.

That's right.

Unless she's a vampire or cryogenic--

Was she frozen? No way.

No, it's not.

- No? - No.

Hi, Mom.

Class just ended.

I think Dad's having a rough day.

He's playing the piano alone.

And he's crying.

It must be hard for him.

The brother he thought had died came back after 20 years.

Are the ribs for table three not ready yet?

They're coming.

Don't go anywhere else. Come straight home.

PORK RIBS

I'll cut it up for you later.

Did you eat your fill?

The meat's unlimited, so we're full to the brim.

It's so tasty, I should come back.

Do come again, sir.

Would anyone come back after seeing that face?

That brat… Is she putting on lipstick or eating it?

My gosh.

Dad!

Are you okay?

If I play my heart and soul out,

I sometimes collapse afterward.

It's low blood pressure.

Then don't play the piano.

It's my artistic spirit.

A person must first survive. Does art put food on the table?

Stand up, now.

- Let's see. - What?

You're the head teacher.

Try to act like one, Dad.

I'll go out first. Pull yourself together and come out in five minutes.

Gosh. I feel dizzy.

Goodness.

Boss!

- It's bad news. - What is it now?

An article…

"Director M disappeared 20 years ago.

He reappeared after 20 years looking exactly the same,

shocking all who saw him."

DIRECTOR RETURNS AFTER DISAPPEARING 20 YEARS AGO

"Where was he for the past 20 years?

What is the broadcasting station hiding?

He doesn't have a twin. Is it a look-alike?

Could he have been taken captive by aliens?

Did he return after a physical experiment?"

They practically wrote a novel.

That guy

specializes in mysteries.

Will it be okay?

If word gets out that I returned after 20 years,

someone could end up in danger.

What danger?

What on earth happened?

See?

Did you read about the director that came back?

It has to have something to do with Mi-ran.

My hunch's never been wrong.

My hunch was right too when my ex cheated on me.

I feel it again.

Goodness.

Yes.

Don't you trust it?

My hunch is a hundred percent right.

Anyway, she's back safe and sound. That's what's important.

INVITATION TO THE SUBCONSCIOUS

Why did Mi-ran

appear in my subconscious?

What is it?

Is she an existential being?

Or…

Oh, no. What should my son do?

Are the TV people doing anything to sort it out?

I should teach them a lesson.

It just doesn't look like my brother.

Look at that expression, those eyes.

He's someone else.

My poor brother.

People won't leave him alone now.

By the way, Dong-chan isn't that photogenic.

He looks better in person.

I'll go to the TV station and have it out with them.

Those punks.

- Yes. Let's go. - Me too, Mom.

Stop! Grandma, let's stay calm.

If Uncle becomes a celebrity, that's not bad for us.

Doctor Hwang's awake now, so that's one hurdle scaled.

Does each capsule have their own benefactor?

Yes. You can't secure a capsule of your own unless you're rich.

How did you sustain the power for our two capsules?

The Johnson-McCarthy Foundation paid.

Doctor Hwang wanted to do this with domestic funding and technology.

But I guess that's out the window now.

Since he already received funding from McCarthy for 20 years.

Yes.

Anyway…

I have a question.

Go ahead.

My body temperature.

Is the normal body temp for a frozen human

31.5 degrees Celsius?

It is.

And the critical point is 33 degrees.

DIRECTOR MA DISAPPEARANCE CASE

We'd ruled him dead, but so many things didn't add up.

He is Doctor Johnson's murder suspect.

If he was 35 then, he must be 55 now.

Hwang Gab-soo witnessed Doctor Johnson's murder.

The day he was to meet someone to give the CIA a statement,

he had the accident.

Put all together,

it's likely that this man was behind the explosion of Doctor Hwang's car.

If the Korean police know this much, why did the CIA drop the case?

This guy's a member of the Russian Senate now.

He's impossible to go after.

You think he's the culprit?

Couldn't you be wrong?

UNSEONG GROUP

I think we should look into it.

It's possible Hwang Gab-soo isn't dead?

Yes. No one identified his body back then.

And there's another important detail.

A TV station director who disappeared 20 years ago

reappeared in public.

But he looks just like he did 20 years ago.

I have intel that the director filmed Dr. Hwang's experiment.

Can that intel be trusted?

Yes, sir. A related article was published today.

What shall I do?

First, check if Doctor Hwang is really alive.

And then, find out more about that director.

I want details.

Yes, sir.

And, if that doctor is still alive,

we should get rid of him.

Anyway,

do people still believe that the Russian senator

is the one who killed Doctor Hwang?

Yes. It seems so.

You were frozen?

My goodness.

You looked exactly the same, so I was in disbelief at first.

Was that it?

You yourself took part in the experiment?

So that's why you met Doctor Hwang then.

There's something else you must know.

Doctor Hwang's not dead.

- What? - He's alive.

No one can know, but I'm telling you because I need help.

No wonder I felt something was off back then.

Anyway, Dong-chan,

are you feeling okay?

Can I borrow your phone?

The person you have called is unavailable.

After the beep, you'll be connected to voicemail.

Darn it.

You can't be a primitive forever.

Get a new phone already.

Goodness.

Who's this?

Hello?

It's me.

Did you get a new phone?

Not yet.

Did you get home safely that day?

You abandoned me by the roadside.

Were you worried then?

Are you ill or anything?

I hurt all over. How could I be well and fine?

I'm sorry.

Be sure to stay cool.

We have to.

What do you mean?

Anyway,

if you have a fever or feel sick, call me right away.

Let's talk about it again in person. Bye.

What's with him?

What should I do about him? Seriously.

He told me to call him, but he doesn't have a phone.

Goodness.

Who was that?

The other test subject.

There was someone else?

You'd have known if you checked my texts. You didn't catch on?

I thought it was about some other experiment for the show.

Someone did that experiment with you?

They got frozen too?

HANGUK UNIVERSITY JOB FAIR

Watch out for the ball. Watch the ball!

You want to interview? Do you have a resume?

Yes.

Ms. Ko Mi-ran.

Your age is…

You were born in 1976?

Did you start to study late?

Not exactly.

I had some personal issues.

Your experience…

You were on Infinite Experiment Paradise in 1999, and that's it.

Yes.

So you want to get an entry-level job aged 44?

At that age, you're still single and never had a job.

What on earth have you done?

I was kept in a freezer, okay?

Isn't she so adorable?

She's cute.

My word.

So the urban legend was true?

But this story, shouldn't our station have the exclusive?

It's a huge scoop.

- Yes. - Get back to work!

A scoop, my foot.

Let's talk.

We're doing that. Talking.

When I disappeared, why didn't you

look for me?

What?

Well…

And why did you not mention the experiment to the police?

If you did, they could've investigated.

Well… I…

You…

How could you?

It wasn't like that. Will you…

Dong-chan. C…

C-what?

The CCTV cameras. You can't be seen assaulting me.

A lot has changed in 20 years.

You could get fired.

You want to lecture me or what?

Dong-chan!

I'm sorry for everything.

But I had no choice!

Darn it!

Goddamn it.

What about the tapes? Did you get rid of them?

What about the cameraman?

Tell me everything you know that I don't.

After you disappeared,

we scrapped the project.

I didn't have the authority to do anything.

As you know, I was a powerless assistant director.

I did as I was told.

And now you're a powerless chief with no authority, right?

Who just does as he's told, right?

Dong-chan. I'm pained with guilt too.

We worked together for years.

How could you of all people

pretend nothing was wrong when I'd gone missing?

You bastard.

You're not even human.

What brings you here?

Director.

Can you give me a job?

A job?

Yes. A job.

Where?

Here, at the broadcasting station.

Here?

MELTING ME SOFTLY

So you want me to do a three-month internship?

I think she's weird. There's something about her.

Dong-chan! Don't make things worse.

Why would I tell such a lie?

Did you know too,

but not look for me like everyone else here?

Must we live like this forever?

This is really fascinating.

Why did they lock us in a freezer truck of all things?

Are you all right? Mi-ran.

Ko Mi-ran, wake up!

I'm sorry.

Subtitle: Jennifer Jean Lim