Original subtitles

SUMMER 2013

-I'll major in violin. -I quit violin.

What?

I'm going to quit violin.

I'm going to major in violin.

What is going on?

So, as soon as you get discharged,

you'll quit playing the violin and start making instruments?

Yes.

Good luck for now.

Song-ah, you'll start studying again instead of getting a job.

Yes. Good luck for me too?

No, I can't wish you good luck.

Are you insane? No way.

Come on.

Give me your support too.

I want to study at the College of Music and major in violin.

No way. Ask anybody out there.

"Hello, I studied business in Seoryeong. But I'm going to major in violin."

Who'd support you for that?

What kind of a stupid idiot would do that?

Goodness. Whatever.

Let's go home.

I support you.

You're going to be a stupid idiot?

You don't have to lie

just to make me feel better.

It's your decision.

Not anyone else's.

Chae Song-ah's decision.

I know how much you think

and reconsider when you make a decision,

so I'm always on your side.

When you enter the College of Music,

study there, and even after you graduate,

things will never be easy,

but you have my support.

Thanks.

Did you find a tutor?

No, not yet.

The lesson fee is expensive,

and I haven't told my parents yet.

What about me?

What?

What about me?

Well, I'm not sure if I'm trustworthy enough,

but I'll teach you as much as I can.

If you're okay with having a teacher who's just returned from the military.

I trust you.

Please teach me well, Teacher.

-You can go now. I'll go on my own. -Why? I'll take you home.

No, thanks. I prefer taking the bus.

The bus isn't here yet, so you can go first.

All right, then.

Bye.

Get home safely. I'll call you.

We have to catch the subway.

I'll call you.

-Nice seeing you, Joon-young. -Bye, Dong-yoon.

-Okay. Let's go. -Okay.

All right, then.

-See you later. -Bye.

My gosh, Joon-young.

How long has it been?

-Why did you call me out all the way here? -What? I knew you'd come.

Did I keep you waiting? My luggage came out late.

It's all right.

If you were going to fix this here, why did you call me out to the airport?

You're right.

Let's grab a bite first.

-Okay. -Shall we go downstairs?

-Okay. -Good.

One second.

Hey, Min-seong.

What? Where?

-Congratulations! -Nice.

-That's awesome. -Looks good!

Thank you. I want some beer too.

-Be careful with the glass. -I want some too.

-Why are you drinking so much? -Hey, Song-ah.

-Song-ah! -Hi, guys.

-Song-ah, you're the last to come. -Hey!

Come here.

-Why couldn't I reach you? I kept calling. -I'm sorry.

Congratulations, CEO Yoon.

Oh, thanks.

Song-ah, give Dong-yoon a lesson.

He kept ignoring my congratulatory text,

then texted me back only after he landed at the airport.

I'm sorry. I've been very busy.

I knew you'd come here first from the airport,

so I told everyone to come.

Good job, ex-girlfriend. Are you two getting back together?

Yes, get back together.

-You two look great. -Exactly.

Is that a curse?

Hey, I live here. Where else would I go?

-He's right about that. -That's true.

-Thank you. -That looks great.

-How many menus did you order? -Have you eaten?

-Not yet. -This is a new menu. It's really good.

I missed this place.

Han River.

-Are you happy to be back? -Of course, I'm happy.

I'm done studying,

Jeong-gyeong came back with me, and you're back in Korea.

Has it been seven years since you returned?

For a vacation, not for a concert? Yes.

What about your home in Berlin?

I'm going to go back anyway, so I sublet it.

I have no belongings, anyway.

What about your piano?

Right, you gave it back to Jeong-gyeong when you left for Berlin.

But doesn't it feel weird having a stranger live at your house?

It's not my house. I'm renting it out.

Then where do you feel at home?

You lived alone in Seoul since middle school,

so I doubt it's your parents' home.

I'm not sure.

I sleep in a different place every day when I'm on a tour.

You've worked so hard.

Rest all you want during your year off.

Also, enjoy your life at school.

Date someone too.

That's what you should do when you return to school.

A professor at Seoryeong University?

How many are they hiring?

One professor for String Studies.

One person in the department?

Does this mean it could be

a violist or a cellist instead of a violinist?

Yes.

Did you get any of the teaching jobs you applied for in the US?

No.

It's much better to have you back in Korea.

You've studied enough, so help me out at the foundation.

Please excuse me.

Good night, Mother.

Get a good rest.

Good night.

Once everything gets sorted, let's talk more about the foundation too.

Jeong-gyeong is going to apply to work as a professor at Seoryeong University.

Why? Why won't she teach in the US?

It's not that she won't. She didn't pass the final interviews.

I thought she'd pass at least one.

It won't be that easy to be a professor at Seoryeong either.

But you know, I'm very grateful I got to come back to Korea with her.

It has been years since we lived under the same sky.

Doesn't the US share the same sky?

Between New York and Indiana?

They're 1,100km apart. That's the distance from Seoul to Tokyo.

You've got a point.

-Min-seong, get home safely. -Okay, bye.

-Anyway, Song-ah… -Yes?

We all tried to stop you when you said you wanted to study music.

But right now, you're the best.

You live doing what you want to do.

I'm jealous.

Whenever I clock in at work every morning, it's just…

I probably had something I wanted to do.

Or maybe not.

Hey, what is this civil servant with 100% job security saying

to a small business owner and a college student who's studying late?

-Your taxi is here. Grab that. -Okay.

-Get home safely. -Okay.

How will you get home?

I'll manage.

-Let's go. -You're so cool, Song-ah.

My friend, you're the best!

Be careful.

-Bye. -Bye.

You have no idea what it's like for me.

It's not cool at all.

Let's go and check at the instruments.

Yes, sure.

Right. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your New York concert last month.

Why did my flight get delayed?

And even Jeong-gyeong couldn't go.

Are you sulky because we weren't there?

Jeong-gyeong fell ill that day, so don't be so harsh.

Then you saw her today for the first time in a while.

Right.

I ran over to her place as soon as I landed,

and she looked very sick.

She has migraine issues.

She was all dressed up, but I guess she couldn't leave.

I was worried all night, then left early in the morning

because I had another audition in LA.

Did you go to the airport right after the concert?

Yes.

If you landed an hour or two earlier,

we would've met at the airport.

Exactly. We narrowly missed each other.

You're right.

We missed each other.

You must've been surprised.

I'm sure you didn't expect to see us come back together.

And Jeong-gyeong didn't know you'd be there.

What do we call this? A double surprise!

I'm so happy right now. This is insane.

What's wrong?

Are you nervous to play in front of me?

You don't have to be nervous in front of me.

Did you forget that I was the only one who supported you

when you wanted to study music?

No.

How can I forget that?

What are you embarrassed about?

Go ahead and play.

It's cracked.

-What? -The violin is cracked.

Give it to me.

See that? There's a crack here.

That's why the sound couldn't resonate through the entire frame.

-It had been escaping through here. -I see.

You said you couldn't practice lately,

but aren't you sorry for your violin for not noticing it was broken?

You're right.

It's yours. Who would notice if you don't?

These instruments have souls too.

They've lived for over 100 to 200 years.

Don't let it think it's stuck with an awful owner.

Okay, I'm sorry.

"I love you."

Say that three times. Say, "I love you."

To your violin.

Go ahead. Three times.

Say it into the F-hole,

so it can resonate all the way inside.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

Song-ah. Congratulations on getting accepted.

I look forward to seeing an awesome violinist in four years.

PS, poco a poco.

Keep going slowly, bit by bit.

You can do it!

Let's begin our meeting.

-Okay. -Okay.

I don't want to do this.

Song-ah.

-Let's do the meeting. -Okay.

Are you staying in touch with Joon-young regarding the rehearsal room?

Well, he hasn't contacted me.

Really? He must be taking a break.

Actually, this afternoon…

-Gosh, Ms. Im. -Goodness.

One second.

-Ms. Im. -Wait, goodness.

-My goodness. -Oh, no.

-Ms. Im, wait. -What am I going to do?

Ms. Cha.

Have a seat.

I talked to Yu-jin on the phone.

She has to be hospitalized, so I told her to stay.

She is due at the end of the month, so she'll take her leave right away.

Will she be all right?

What about the handover of her duties?

The doctor told her not to worry.

As for the handover, let's talk again after we look over our projects. Okay?

-Okay. -Okay.

Hey, Hae-na.

Yes?

I heard the Chief Director's granddaughter plays the violin.

-Do you know her? -Yes, Lee Jeong-gyeong.

She was called "the next Sarah Chang" when she was young.

She played with the New York Philharmonic.

We took lessons from the same teacher when she went to middle school in Korea.

She was pretty and smart, so she was well-known.

Why do you ask?

I was just curious.

She must be really talented.

She was, a long time ago.

But I'm not so sure about that now.

She came back to Korea in middle school

after her mother passed away in an accident.

Ever since then…

She was good among her peers, but she wasn't as good as people expected.

Not many child prodigies stay gifted past their adulthood.

Many become ordinary like Jeong-gyeong did.

And even if she did turn ordinary, she's still excellent.

-Hello. -Hello.

You got here early.

Here.

And here.

Yes, thank you.

I'm Nah Moon-sook of Kyunghoo Cultural Foundation.

NAH MOON-SOOK

Nice to meet you.

THE SEUNG JI-MIN CRAZE ISN'T OVER YET

My gosh.

Seung Ji-min's debut album sold over 200,000 copies in Korea.

That's amazing.

It's kind of sad.

People went crazy over Mr. Park when he became the first Korean

to win second place in the Chopin Competition.

But since Ji-min won first place in that competition, it's been a bit…

A bit what?

He falls way behind. That's why your ranking is important.

A runner-up without a winner may be the practical winner,

but the second place will be the second.

I know that.

That's why I want Mr. Park to compete in another piano competition

before he passes the age limit.

Next year's Tchaikovsky Competition or--

The Tchaikovsky Competition?

He can't afford to gamble like that.

What if he ends up becoming the third place instead of the second,

or even worse, not winning anything?

I'm just saying that's how I feel as his fan.

Instead of waiting for him to win,

just switch over to Seung Ji-min.

What?

I'm leaving. Take your time and grab some coffee.

-Buy us coffee, then. -Next time.

I have some work to do.

-I'll buy you coffee. -I don't want it.

She left in the middle of a conversation.

I began my career as my father's secretary.

Then he passed away,

and I became his successor.

I've only worked for my whole life. I don't know much about music.

I stepped down 15 years ago,

established this foundation, and became its chief director,

so I studied a bit, but, goodness…

I'll never know as much as you do.

I'm just someone who buys lunch like I'm doing today.

For musicians who create great music

and the stage crew who work hard day and night behind the scenes,

I want to be someone who treats them to a good meal.

That's why when our foundation gets new recruits,

I always ask them to dine with me,

to ask them to look after our foundation.

Please do look after

Kyunghoo Cultural Foundation.

SEUNG JI-MIN, THE FIRST KOREAN WINNER OF THE CHOPIN COMPETITION

SEUNG'S CONCERT SOLD OUT IN 2 MINUTES

KYUNGHOO'S SUPPORT PAID OFF

-Ms. Cha, we're back. -Did you enjoy your meal?

-Yes. -Have a seat.

I want to talk about your duties.

My gosh.

Why won't my bangs stay calm?

Then Hae-na will be working with me.

Will Ms. Sorry do a good job

in communicating with the trios?

Should I give her a hand?

Don't worry about it. Mr. Park, it's me.

Goodness. It took me ten minutes to fix them!

What have you been doing all day?

Well…

I take walks and read books too.

What about your practice? I heard you practice at the foundation.

Yes. From time to time.

On that day…

That day

when I played in New York.

Yes.

What about that day?

Move over.

The sunlight is in your face. Sit inside.

It's a hot day, so should I just get three iced Americanos?

Should I

get married?

What?

I've dated Hyeon-ho for a long period.

Should I marry him?

Do you mean that?

No.

I'm joking.

Lee Jeong-gyeong.

But you know,

if I said I want to marry Hyeon-ho,

I thought you'd say, "Congratulations."

What's with that face?

Why did you…

do that on that day?

It didn't mean anything.

I was happy to see you. That's all.

I've been living in the US for too long. I took it a bit too far.

Okay.

Yes.

But…

don't ever prank me like that again.

It wasn't funny at all.

It spilled over.

They should've closed the lid well.

Thank you.

Should I

get married?

Do you mean that?

Jeong-gyeong.

Jeong-gyeong.

Later on,

she said…

she was jealous of him.

She hated him for moving onto a place

where she couldn't go to.

So she wanted to check and see

if she was…

still important to him.

Jeong-gyeong!

Joon-young, you're here too.

-Did you sleep well last night? -Yes.

-Did you eat lunch? -No.

I'm starving to death.

The hospital?

Is she all right now?

Yes, thankfully.

The person in charge of communication…

I'm sorry I'm late.

You came right on time. It will be Ms. Chae Song-ah.

Hello.

Yes, hello.

I heard you ran into each other last weekend. What a coincidence.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too.

Okay, go on with the meeting.

Oh, right. Could you all stay for dinner? I made a dinner reservation.

I want to buy you all dinner for once, but something suddenly came up.

I thought I would just cancel it,

but since you're all here, you can stay and eat with Song-ah.

We'll do that. Thank you.

And I'll find another day to do that.

Okay, then. Go ahead and do your meeting.

-Goodbye. -Bye.

Right, have some coffee.

I didn't know what you like, so I brought iced coffee for everyone.

-Thank you. -Thank you.

Song-ah, your coffee's…

I spilled some on my way here. It's all right.

-You can have this one. -No, it's okay.

You don't drink coffee, right? You said it makes your heart pound.

You don't drink coffee?

-We have Solomon's seal tea. -No, it's okay.

-I do drink it these days. -Really?

He didn't even eat chocolate to avoid taking caffeine.

It doesn't matter.

What a sensitive kid.

Song-ah. We first played music together in the second year of middle school.

That's when Jeong-gyeong transferred here from the US.

I fell in love at first sight,

so I got too nervous to go up and talk to her by myself.

I grabbed that guy, who wasn't interested, and pretended I wanted to play music,

asking her to do the chamber competition.

But she turned me down at once.

Goodness, she was so mean.

She told me off saying I should stop annoying or bothering her.

Right.

My first love was full of scratches.

But still,

we entered

the chamber competition.

What did you do to persuade her?

Right.

Why did you suddenly change your mind?

No idea. I don't remember.

I see.

Do you remember?

No, I don't either.

What is this? We all look like idiots.

All right.

You can begin now.

What? Am I Stevie Wonder or something?

Stevie Wonder? Only if you're good.

Mr. Park, would you accept song requests?

Sure I will.

Oh, my.

Song-ah, if there's a song you want to hear, tell him.

Me? No, it's okay.

Come on. Just ask him.

It's your welcome gift.

This may be your last chance, so hurry up and ask him.

"Träumerei" by Schumann.

The other day, I heard you play the song here by chance.

The one in Schumann's Kinderscenen? That piece?

Right.

Jeong-gyeong, did you say you got your name from that piece?

Was your mother a fan of the piece?

No, I was named after my mom.

I see. I'm sorry.

Anyhow, Schumann was always Joon-young's favorite musician,

but I've never heard him play "Träumerei."

Anyway…

Mr. Park Joon-young.

Please play "Träumerei" from Kinderscenen by Schumann.

-You can play something-- -I'll play it.

Listen carefully,

because I'll never play this again.

Listen carefully

because I'll never play this again.

I love you.

I know, of course.

Go back to sleep.

Jeong-gyeong.

I love you.

I love you so much.

Mr. Park is at the hotel with the conductor.

Hae-na, I'd like you to go there and come back with him.

-He might need a hand. -Sure.

And Joon-young said he'll come to Hannam-dong on his own.

-Oh, Song-ah. -Yes.

I want to give Joon-young's album to the conductor,

but we're out of stock.

Could you go buy one?

Sure.

Song-ah, look.

What?

I see Seung Ji-min everywhere I go now. I guess Park Joon-young is done for.

Did he come back because his career wasn't taking off abroad?

The sabbatical might be an excuse.

Honestly, he's not a bad pianist, but he's popular because of his looks.

If he weren't as handsome, no one would care.

Oh, it's Mr. Park.

Yes, Mr. Park. Right.

Wait a minute.

Wait.

Excuse me, ma'am.

Gosh, why is this beeping? I have to go.

-Ma'am. -Yes?

You didn't pay for this.

Oh, right.

I'm sorry.

There are moments when you suddenly realize something.

I've never enjoyed participating in competitions.

Each time, I lose about three to four kilograms

and suffer from insomnia.

However,

I kept doing it for two reasons.

First,

I needed the prize money to make ends meet.

Joon-young, your dad really tried

not to stand surety again.

Ever since moving to Seoul on my own to attend an arts middle school,

I had to support myself financially.

And the other reason was…

I persevered for the one person who lent me a helping hand…

DROPOUT REQUEST FORM

…when I was about to give up.

The money that was given to me in the form of scholarship

was at a price for a young girl's grief.

I didn't like that her tragedy

had become my fortune,

but I wanted to keep playing the piano

and did not want to move back home.

So I decided

to become friends with that girl.

I hoped…

that would help lessen my guilt.

Let's study

chamber music together.

Then…

YOUNG ARTIST AWARD GRAND AWARD

…I began participating in competitions non-stop.

So that the person who helped me

could feel proud and rewarded.

NAH MOON-SOOK OVERCOMES TRAGEDY AND PAINTS A NEW TOMORROW

But I left Korea after my last competition where I came in second place.

Every night, I fell asleep alone in my hotel room in a foreign country,

and those moments…

I didn't know it would be so unbearable.

I thought about her every night after pouring out all my energy on stage.

GRADUATION CEREMONY

And about my other friend as well.

What is this emotion? Friendship?

Joon-young.

Sympathy?

Or just feeling indebted?

The more I pondered on it, the more it frightened me,

so I just tried to ignore it.

But in that moment,

I realized…

that I love her.

But the truth is,

I had known all along, it's just that…

I knew from the get-go that I should never show it.

I was looking forward to my sabbatical leave for years,

but everything turned into a big mess right off the bat.

Did he come back because his career wasn't taking off abroad?

The sabbatical might be an excuse. He's popular because of his looks.

If he weren't as handsome, no one would care.

Wait a minute. Wait.

The things that I knew but chose to ignore because I didn't want to face reality

are all starting to surface one by one.

I wonder what's next.

Yeong-in said that kid is very talented. I wonder how good she is.

Yeong-in said that?

Yes, she said she's amazing.

I heard Professor Song taught her as well.

Gosh, Professor Song sure knows how to pick out the cream of the crop.

I hope she becomes better than me.

Well, I don't know about that.

But she sure can't be prettier than you.

Cut it out.

Oh, no.

VIOLIN, YANG JI-WON

PIANO, PARK JOON-YOUNG

WON SECOND PLACE IN THE 2013 INTERNATIONAL CHOPIN COMPETITION

ACTIVELY PERFORMING IN EUROPE…

Joon-young. You're here.

Hi.

-Have you eaten? -Yes, just something quick.

I told you to eat a proper meal.

You haven't met Ji-won, have you?

-I haven't. -I'll introduce you.

Why is this so hard?

How's your migraine? Better?

What?

You fell ill when you were in New York. I was really worried.

It was so bad, you couldn't even go see Joon-young.

I did it.

Did Joon-young say that?

What?

Did he say I didn't go to his recital?

The only person here who knows how to read the notes

is Song-ah.

-Song-ah. -Yes?

Can you turn the pages of my sheet music?

Have you done this before?

No, it's my first time.

It's okay. Even if you make a mistake, I memorized almost everything.

Give her some specific pointers. I'm sure you did it a lot in school.

Well, I'm not sure if you can call this a pointer,

but try to feel the pianist's breath.

That's too difficult to understand.

It's hard to explain in words.

You get what I mean, right?

Yes, I'll try it.

Is it something that only musicians get?

Anyway, let's see your teamwork.

All right.

Did he say I didn't go to his recital?

Am I wrong?

Were you there?

No, I didn't go.

I didn't see Joon-young that time.

Don't they look so cute together?

Try to feel the pianist's breath.

Thanks for your help, Song-ah.

-Joon-young. I'm heading off. -Aren't you going to watch me?

I have a rehearsal at the Philharmonic as a guest cellist.

Oh, right.

-Take care. -Thanks.

-I won't walk you out. -Okay. See you, Song-ah.

-See you. -Bye.

-I'm off. -Take it easy.

Jeong-gyeong, lend us some black clothes.

-Clothes? -Yes.

Song-ah will help him out as his page-turner,

but her suit is too bright.

I see.

-Sure. -Is that your best?

That pizzicato was way too weak.

The blisters hurt so much.

You still have those blisters?

If you practiced hard enough,

the skin would be callused by now.

Then it wouldn't hurt at all.

Song-ah, does it fit?

Yes.

No, it's not that hard.

You look good in that suit.

Oh, thank you.

Page-turning is tiring, isn't it?

No, I'm okay.

Is this the one I gave you?

Before the Chopin Competition.

Yes.

You still use it?

You haven't played this piano in a while, then.

That's right.

Do you want a snack?

No, I'm good.

Drink something, then.

JUNG KYUNG-SEON

IN MEMORY OF JUNG KYUNG-SEON

BELOVED DAUGHTER, WIFE, MOTHER AND PIANIST

WHO LOVED MUSIC MORE THAN ANYONE

Welcome.

Let's go in.

Today's performance was…

Bravo.

Thank you.

Judging from what I heard today,

I'm sure your Schumann is impeccable.

You can probably play Brahms well too.

What? Is that from a matching ring set?

Oh, this. Yes.

String musicians wear their rings on the right hand due to the instruments.

I find it amusing.

Are you dating someone at school?

Yes, he's a cellist in my year.

My gosh, I'm jealous.

Are you planning to work here

instead of studying abroad after you graduate?

Yes.

I did get a few post-graduate offers, but I'm interested in concert planning.

What about you, Song-ah?

-Pardon? -Got any post-graduation plans?

I'm assuming that you're also interested in working in concert planning.

For now,

my goal is to graduate.

I have my graduation performance next semester.

The breeze feels nice.

You know,

don't try too hard to impress everyone

when you're performing.

If every single judge at the competition

gives you eight points,

you may come in first place, of course.

But getting 10 from a couple of them

and six or seven points from the rest could be better.

Because that means

those one or two judges

will remember your performance

for the rest of their lives.

Don't be afraid of anything.

Just follow your heart.

-I'll take this one too. Good work today. -You too.

-Get home safely. -See you tomorrow!

The taxis aren't coming.

Right?

Where do you live?

I live in Seocho-dong.

-Oh, near Seoul Arts Center? -Yes.

It's not far from here by taxi.

Even if you take the subway, it takes about the same amount of time.

Then are you

waiting for my taxi here with me?

Sorry?

Yes.

Actually, I was waiting for your taxi.

-I see, I was… -Yes.

-I was waiting for your… -Right.

My gosh.

Well…

get home safely.

I'm going to grab a bite.

I see.

You didn't eat earlier?

Well…

I can't eat much right before or after my performance.

I see. Good night, then.

Good night.

Wait.

How did you like the performance?

-Pardon? -The performance.

Did you like it?

Yes, it was good.

I'm glad to hear that.

How was it for you?

I'm quite happy with it. Everyone liked it.

No, not what others think.

Did you like it?

I think

the last time you played was a bit better.

"The last time"?

The night you played "Träumerei" in the rehearsal room.

Today was good too,

but I keep thinking about what I heard that night for some reason.

And when I think about it,

it touches someplace inside my heart.

Anyway, I should get going.

-Right. Get home safely. -Will do.

I'm quite happy with it.

Everyone liked it.

No, not what others think.

Did you like it?

Song-ah.

Can I sit here?

Yes. Of course.

OPEN

Then is there someone you like?

-She went to Joon-young's recital. -Really?

Don't say anything to Song-ah.

The truth is Dong-yoon and I…

I like you.

I like that piece so I don't want to hear it right now.

I'm sorry.

He hasn't played this piece before.

It was the way Brahms comforted her by using music, not words.

Do you want to be friends?