Original subtitles

(Summer, 1962)

Hey, how do I look today?

I should be fine.

Well, at least my black skirt still looks fine.

(Kang Deoksun's Love History)

Oh, my!

Ma'am!

I told you to call me when you need help!

You're here because of Seoksam, no?

Oh, that's nonsense.

I came to see you.

Well, aren't you sweet.

Nice job.

Geez...

Those arms are like those of a man.

Even after your marriage,

you should never cross her.

It's obvious

that you're going to lose.

Yeah?

Why did your father ever

make a promise to Deoksun's father

to have you two get married!

If this isn't a tragedy, what is?

So...

What about Miyoko?

I don't know.

My love won't change.

Then...

Do you want me to tell you

an amazing way to finish it off with girls?

Oh, father.

You're still up.

Well, let's see.

Is it right for you to go help others

when you don't help out at home?

Tell me. Is it right?

No, it's not right.

But he's not just anybody.

You promised to marry me off to him

and I have given my heart to him.

Well, that...

That's right.

- But still, you... / - Oh, lord!

Are you going to take all night again?

Just give her a spanking and let's go to sleep.

Why, how could I spank such a little girl?

Isn't that right?

If you call her little,

I must be as light as a dandelion.

Well, you'll fly away at the wind!

I heard...

That you looked for me?

Yes.

Have this.

You got this precious corn for me?

Deoksun.

I've been thinking.

I must go and achieve greater things.

Of course.

You've studied a lot.

You'll get things done.

When I leave for Gyeongseong this time...

I won't be coming back.

Sorry?

"Yushin-muguk, Gimu-gamsang."

How can a man without a country

have thoughts of his own?

I have made my decision

to sacrifice my life

for the independence of our land.

We're living fine here.

What do you mean by that?

Do all men have to

sacrifice their bodies for some greater good?

What about me?

It's an ambition

that only men can have.

It seems that our destiny together

ends here.

You did well to break up with her.

If you marry her,

you might get killed by her arms while you're asleep.

Are those even arms?

More like clubs...

I thought the village put up a new statue.

She really got me there.

Are you leaving now?

Yes, I am.

I've made some rice cakes

and rice balls for you.

You like them, right?

You really didn't need to. Seriously...

I'm sorry that I can't help but worry.

I heard from a mister at the market place

that I can keep in contact

with people from far away if I have their address.

Could you leave me an address, too?

I promise that I won't bother you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I wish you only the best.

Let's go.

Alright.

Oh! Oh, ouch! Oh, my.

Geez...

Well, my baby girl.

Are you finally eating something?

I'm making it for Seoksam's mother.

I need to take care of her

until Seoksam comes back.

What?

Just now...

I was talking with Seoksam's mother.

Really?

What were you talking about?

The Kim family on the other side of the mountain

has a young son and she...

Wants to set you up with him.

What do you mean?

She doesn't want to keep you from...

Getting married because of Seoksam.

Father,

I'm not going to get married.

I'm not going to marry anyone else but Seoksam.

I'd rather go

and bring him back from Gyeongseong.

What? Do you even know how

dangerous it is there?

He left you to do greater things.

If you chase after him and burden him,

will that be right?

Or will that be wrong?

Oh, my... Oh...

Someone must have dug a whole here.

It's so chilly and hollow

that it's killing me.

I should just die like this.

What kind of an idiot

dies from love?

I do.

I couldn't even tell him my feelings!

I'd rather die than to marry someone else!

Why you little...

Get a hold of yourself!

Oh, stop it. Stop it!

- Let go. / - Stop it!

- How dare you... / - Stop!

You've lost your mind!

- Oh, stop! Stop! / - Move!

I've raised her wrong!

Mother and father...

Please forgive me.

I will make sure to come back

with Seoksam.

Good-bye for now.

I have his address.

It won't take long to find him.

Wow.

Am I in the same country?

- Mister! / - Yes.

Do you know where this is?

I can't read...

I see...

Then do you know

where I can find the independence activists?

Don't say that out loud just anywhere.

Oh, my.

You should be careful.

Do you know where this is?

- Do you know where this is? / - You don't look...

What's going on?

I'm sorry.

I was just resting for a minute.

You've been circling

around this area for a while.

- What are you doing? / - I need to find someone.

It's not easy.

If you know how to read,

could you take a look at it?

Have you eaten anything?

I only have money for the return train.

You can read drawings, right?

If you go across here,

you'll find a tavern named "Monyeo Tavern."

It's got another roof on top of a roof.

You'll find it easily.

Is this what the letters say?

Tell that Sejin Laundry sent you.

She'll give you a bowl of soup.

Fill up your empty stomach

and return home.

How do you know

Mr. Sejin?

Well...

I'm...

Looking for the independence activists.

Oh, my!

What's wrong?

What a waste.

Leave! We don't sell anything to anyone looking for

those traitors.

What have I done wrong to be treated like this?

You, crazy girl. We've took pity on you and

you cause a scene!

Get out, now!

How heartless they are!

How did such a nice person

like Seoksam survive in a city as heartless as this?

I'm so starving.

Maybe...

I should just sleep over there tonight.

What are you?

Why are you looking for the independence activists?

Are you a spy?

I'm Kang Deoksun.

My father's name is Kang Bongpal

and my mother's name is Kim Malsun.

I'm just here to find a man named Seoksam.

I need to get married to him.

It's true.

Why should I believe that?

It's an address he left me.

Don't kill me.

I'm sorry, Deoksun.

Don't come looking for me.

Idiot.

You came to find a man

not knowing that he abandoned you?

What do you mean?

Address?

It says not to look for him.

He hated you.

What?

What does it say?

I'm sorry, Deoksun.

Don't come looking for me.

Oh...

How long have you starved for?

They didn't give you

anything to eat and slapped you in the face.

Threatened you, too.

That's too harsh.

Right?

Another one?

Yes.

There are some boys who pull such a prank

because they can't tell the truth.

What a mean guy.

Sorry about earlier.

But if I didn't hit you there,

you might have gotten in bigger trouble.

I don't know how it's been elsewhere.

But here, what you say can cost your life.

So...

He left me because he didn't like me?

Don't be so sad.

There are many more things to be sad about here.

We'll let you stay for tonight.

Recharge and return home tomorrow.

Yeah. Have something first.

I'm too worthless to eat.

Idiot.

What?

These are the same shoes...

That my parents gave her for her wedding.

Mother and father...

They knew.

What the...

It's the idiot girl.

Why are you back?

I've got something to say...

By the way,

why do you speak like that to me, you little...

How old are you?

Is that something to brag about?

You didn't even know that you've been ditched.

Why, you!

You're just shoving it

into my painful heart now?

What's going on?

Is this how you repay our kindness?

I'm sorry.

This isn't why I came back.

If you need money, I'll give you.

Don't come back.

That's not it.

Could I learn to read before I go back home?

I can't bear

to return home and see my parents like this.

I know how stupid it was for me

to come all the way here because I couldn't read.

So, I would really like to learn the letters.

Not for free, of course.

I'm pretty strong

and I can do lots of things.

Teach her to read.

I don't want to have anything to do with this idiot.

It's a tragedy of this period

that women can't learn.

How is it right to look down upon them for that?

Do you not see how important this is?

Alright.

I'll teach her.

So it's set.

But you must remember

to be careful while you stay here.

There are ears everywhere.

You must always watch out.

I won't say a word.

Good.

I'm sorry about earlier.

Please be nice, my teacher.

I'm sorry.

I've put in my effort,

but I missed out a little.

This...

You think this is a little?

Why, how could there be

something so difficult?

There is a word that I know I can memorize.

What's that?

Can you write "Seoksam" for me?

I'm sure

that I can memorize that.

Does this say "Seoksam?"

What's the use of his name?

It says "Deoksun."

Your name.

Memorize that first.

What's this?

It's got the same shape.

Independence.

Without dependence.

It means to stand alone and not be subject to

or be influenced by anything.

Independence...

Are these the same characters as

what Seoksam said about independence activists?

Yes.

Only after you stand alone

can you find someone else and love.

How are you so smart?

My mother taught me

before she died.

That's it for today.

Independence.

Did she just say that her mother died?

Then who's the mom?

By the way...

Why is there such a secretive room here?

Maybe all houses in Gyeongseong have one.

You're back.

It's really late.

How dare you come in here without permission?

Oh, I got permission to just sleep here

starting today because I didn't want to

bother everyone else in the other room.

Just now...

- Did you see? / - Yes.

Oh, my!

Oh, my! What is that?

Gosh. Oh, what am I to do?

It's my mistake.

I should have told you before.

It's my fault.

If she won't stay silent,

she must be killed.

Even if she will,

I believe that we must send her away for the future.

You.

Did you really see it?

Yes.

I did take a good look at it.

But...

Is it so wrong to see

yut sticks to be scolded in the night?

The ones for yut nori, the board game?

Yes.

I looked at it

and it was exactly like the yut sticks.

It didn't even look so different

from the ones that my father made.

Father...

Hey...

Well...

What is yut nori?

What? Have you

never played yut nori before?

Fine.

Games are not important anyway.

Well, it's your loss to not know

about such a fun game.

Call me an older sister.

I'm four years older.

I, Jo Gukhui, have no such sister.

Fine, fine.

Goodness. I should have known your temper.

But,

where can I find yut sticks around here?

Thank you, Comrade Cha Seokju.

Why do you call her a comrade...

Or whatever...

I don't care.

See that?

I'm almost at the end!

I'll win whatever I get next turn.

See? See?

All I need to do is to catch you.

It's not over yet.

It's good to see you laugh.

What did you play with around here

when you were young?

I was born in Manchuria.

I wandered around

with the resistance movement

and lost my mom and my older brother.

What good are games?

You may be younger,

but you really are worth to be my teacher.

Don't follow me.

If I don't come back by dawn,

just tell Comrade Cha Seokju

that Gukhui failed.

Wait, where...

Fail what?

What's going on?

Hey! Show it.

Show it!

(Monyeo Tavern)

I should have followed her.

Why isn't she back yet?

What happened?

To the basement...

Now...

One, two, three!

The date has been set.

You've done well.

Don't speak anymore.

You're bleeding too much.

I had to lose this one officer

so it took me some time.

I've already sworn my life for our country.

But why am I so afraid now?

I don't want to be...

A coward...

This isn't good.

I will go get a doctor.

Hold on tight.

Alright?

It was really...

Fun this afternoon...

It's not right for the winner to end the game first.

Yeah?

You must get up

and play another game to finish it.

Alright.

We'll play again.

Of course.

Have you been on a swing?

Have you played with jegi and gonggi?

See?

You only bragged about yourself.

But you don't know anything yet.

I'll teach you everything.

Today,

I had to run through many alleys

and so I saw many things...

Suddenly,

there was a smell.

A very sweet smell...

It looked like a flower

or maybe a cloud...

I wonder

what that would taste like.

Next time,

let's go

and try that together.

Deoksun...

Comrade! Comrade Jo!

How...

How is this even possible?

What in the world is this?

Be careful not to let anyone hear you.

You can't tell anyone

about the death that occurred here tonight.

What?

Why can't I?

Why can't I even be sad about it?

Are you planning on ruining what

Gukhui has sacrificed her life for?

I must now know, too.

I should have known

when I saw those dangerous things down there.

It said it's a tavern on the outside

but everyone seemed so suspicious.

I thought that it wouldn't matter to

an idiotic girl like me.

But no more.

I need to know why a little girl like Gukhui

had to die like that!

Who are you and what are you guys

all doing here?

I need to know now, too!

There is a place to go

tomorrow morning.

Come with me.

We're really

thankful that you care for us

and visit us every time.

I'm just doing what must be done.

How are you these days?

I chewed on a pebble

that was in my meal and broke a tooth.

It gave me some trouble

but it's nothing compared to what's done down there.

Everything...

Is fine out there, right?

Last night...

She followed after her mother.

I'm really sorry, Mr. Jo.

It's...

It's all my fault.

Comrade Jo Gukhui

didn't know that her father was here.

Her brother lost his life in the Battle of Qingshanli

and her mother

died in jail after getting caught

for raising funds for the independence movement.

So her father didn't want

her to know of his pain.

I've walked this trail so many times.

It began when I came to see

my own son.

After he died...

I took in everyone in this jail

as my own children.

So I kept on coming back.

That's all.

We're just people

who have gathered to do what we can

after losing

our loved ones for having lost our country.

That's who we are at the tavern.

How did you go around

such dangerous alleys with your small feet?

That flower-like

and cloud-like thing...

I don't know what that is.

I wish that you can have fun

over there

with your mother and your brother.

I want in.

She said that a date has been set.

If that is something that will help

bring independence that Gukhui dreamt of,

I want to do what I can to help.

Do you think this is a game?

If you have any thoughts for your parents...

- Go back. / - I know.

I do think about my mother and father.

I think about Seoksam, too.

However,

this is a land

where I can't even cry at the death of someone

that I have opened my heart to.

Isn't that why you're trying

to protect our people?

If so, that's how I feel too.

Do as you wish.

Now.

It's time to open the shop.

Kaneta Tadayoshi.

His real name is Kim Chungi.

He's a pro-Japanese who's been titled a count,

and our main target to get rid of.

His daughter, Kim Seonju, returned from Japan,

and she will be performing

in Gyeongseong Club on October 5th.

The performance is an excuse.

They're planning on raising funds

for founding a new colonization company.

Those bastards...

The club is known to be a place where

they treat the Japanese government officials.

This event will also be highly secured because

only high-officials and important figures

have been invited.

How do we get into a place like that?

Aehyang will be sent in,

disguised as a wife of an official.

And there will only be seven waitresses.

Two of them will be our people.

I'm one of the two, right?

You are to survey the area, plan a flight route

and do whatever that comes up in the way.

How come I just do whatever comes up?

Cooking,

finding money, running errands...

Those are all very important for our success.

Do you feel like you've been left out?

No...

She's right about everything.

I must play my role.

Seokju may seem cold at times,

but she's actually really nice.

People who are not "actually nice"

are very rare.

She has witnessed

too many deaths before.

I don't know everything about her

but I know that.

Sometime in the past,

Seokju ran with me on her back

because I was just an inch away from death.

That cold girl was repeating something to herself.

"Let no one die anymore."

"Let no one leave anymore."

How could I know all her scars?

How is it?

Would I look like an important person?

Beautiful.

You're so beautiful that I can't describe it.

Of course.

In the past,

I was very famous in Suwon

that everyone knew my name.

I was the most beautiful courtesan.

How did you end up all the way here?

Let me tell you a secret.

Come closer.

Actually, I'm also like you.

I came to look for my love.

Really?

Who would ditch a beautiful girl like...

Yes.

He wanted to leave me.

He was very masculine

with a wide chest.

He was really handsome, too.

Seoksam is very lean.

He had long,

good-looking fingers and legs,

but he was really bad at running.

When he was young,

he'd lose his breath

even after a short run.

Then he would call for me.

I hope he's well...

When this is over,

want to go across the sea with me?

What?

Across what?

When we're done,

we'll have to all leave here for a while.

I'm going to ask Chilseong to let me

stay and study a little more in Japan.

Wouldn't you also

like to come with me and study more

over there?

Don't bother me. Leave now.

I will. I will.

I just brought you something to eat.

Hey...

Umm...

Comrade Cha Seokju.

Where will you go

once our work is done?

Do you think I'll tell you?

Well...

I suppose you won't.

I just asked for the sake of it.

Shanghai.

I'm crossing Amnokgang to go to Shanghai.

Everyone needs to go across something.

What will you do there?

Make more bombs

and wait for another chance to come back.

If I join the Korean Provisional Government,

they'll put me to appropriate missions.

If I escape according to the plan,

I'll be on the midnight boat.

You've done well.

Thank you for everything.

See you again in the afterlife,

you country girl.

I'm going to live long.

Don't die.

See you again soon.

Aehyang...

Thank you.

Be careful!

Where is Gukhui?

Why are you looking for her?

I need to see Gukhui.

She has gone away

to rest now.

It must be something urgent, no?

The escape route has been changed.

How will I tell them?

I'm sorry!

You dropped this.

- Watch where you're going. / - Yes, ma'am.

I'm sorry.

What's going on?

Am I seeing things now?

Oh, geez...

You... Aren't you...

A-Aren't you Deoksun?

Yes. Long time no see.

No... No...

How did you get all the way here?

It's a long story.

Rather, how did you get here?

What the...

I just came...

- To see the performance. / - Go back.

You're supposed to be...

- Doing greater things. / - No.

Well, I also need some air for...

- My mind and... / - What air in this small place?

Go somewhere else for air.

Go already!

Where do you...

- Oh, my... / - Listen to me and go!

Come on!

Why do you keep saying...

Why are you still out here?

Yosuke won't stop crying.

I'll be in soon, father-in-law.

Let's talk elsewhere.

If he's your father-in-law,

is Kim Seonju your wife?

No, she's my wife's sister.

I'm sorry, Deoksun.

Hush, hush.

Deoksun, I think

I need to get inside soon.

Oh, no...

Hush, hush.

The baby.

Let me hold the baby.

I'm really good at

comforting babies.

Alright.

Who's bothering you?

You cried because you wanted to live.

Deoksun, what are you doing?

A thief!

Deoksun! Deoksun!

Deoksun!

I must...

Deoksun!

Oh, my heart aches.

Deoksun!

Deoksun!

Deoksun!

Deoksun!

Is this how much you hated me?

This is all I could do for you.

Your father-in-law...

He's said to be a bastard

who sold our country and tormented our people.

You...

You knew that was going to happen?

I met some amazing people

in the process of chasing after you.

It was for our country.

So even if it's sad,

don't suffer too much.

Deoksun...

It's Jinung.

What?

Your mother told me

when I was helping her out.

Before your father passed away,

he said that he wanted to name

his grandson Jinung if you ever got a son.

If he needs a Joseon name,

that is.

I'll be leaving now.

Deoksun...

Don't put yourself in too much danger.

Don't worry about me.

There are many people out there like me.

Take care of yourself, too.

I also know some letters now.

Deoksun.

Deoksun. Independence.

You went all the way there, but you didn't go in.

What would that mean?

I don't know anything.

What you're doing won't help either of us.

It's better to just give me a name for your own good.

Well... Anyone...

What was your name?

What?

I'm someone who left my own lonely mother

and ran away from home.

So, if I had a name to give, I would have already.

Do you not know how much trouble you're in?

All Joseon people are always such idiots.

Being an idiot

is better than being a coward.

I ran into someone today

and really wanted to have these.

Have some.

Where will you go?

Comrades Na Aehyang

and Cha Seokju have all successfully escaped.

If you'd like to join either of them,

I'll have someone take you there.

Do I have to leave, too?

Is there something with me

eating corns and being ditched?

No, that's not what I meant.

I thought about it.

My mother has my father.

Seoksam has his little son.

But for a country girl who still can't write or read,

it's too much to go study overseas.

Miss Cha Seokju

is a little scary.

But here, you'll need someone like a daughter.

I can do that for sure.

I think this is where I belong.

I'm a good worker, too, right?

- Is that how you really feel? / - No.

When you're done learning letters, we'll see.

Well, that's going to be tough.

Yes, I think so, too.

I'm looking for the independence activists.

Some mister at a cleaner's told me that

I can get something to eat here.

Is this not the place?

Am I at a wrong place?

(Special thanks to Seo Jinwon and Han Garim)

What is this?

What does it say?

Are you sure that

it's from Deoksun?

She doesn't know letters.

Oh, it is. Look!

Look at this. This is Deoksun's drawing.

Wow.

She's smiling.

- She's smiling, right? / - Yes, she is!