Original subtitles

(Hometown)

(All characters, places, institutions, incidents,)

(and organizations portrayed in this drama are fictitious.)

(August 13, 1987)

(Restricted area)

(Authorized personnel only)

(Restricted area, Do not enter)

Are we really allowed to come inside?

It's fine. I come here all the time.

Where are you taking us?

It's in here.

Do we have to go inside?

What was the point of coming all the way here?

You come here often?

Yes, I hang out here with my neighborhood friends.

You hang out here?

What do you do here?

What do you think?

We do this.

- Is that it? - Yes.

I think we should take a photo.

What? Right.

When did that appear?

I'm not sure.

But we saw it here for the first time.

It wasn't there when we came here last week,

so I'm guessing someone came and wrote it.

How many of these did you see?

This was the seventh.

Do you think we're the first ones to see it?

Yes, no one comes here other than my friends.

I really can't get used to it.

It's so creepy.

Yong Tak, I'm scared.

Why are you scared?

What is that?

What?

That drawing. What would you call that?

A pattern?

"Three, one, nine, zero, six."

"I haven't yet forgotten."

Mom, I'm home.

Hey, you're home.

Who is that?

Jung Hyun, you don't want to startle the baby,

so try not to raise your voice.

The thing is,

your brother is in the other room right now.

- What? - He's been out of touch for years,

but he suddenly showed up out of nowhere.

What did he say?

- What? - What has he been doing?

Well...

I don't know.

He won't tell me.

Who are you?

Whose baby are you?

I'm not exactly sure,

but I think...

I'm your aunt.

Your auntie.

(Hometown: The Missing)

(July 16, 1999)

Jae Young!

Jae Young!

(Episode 2)

I found something!

- What is it? - It's a phone.

A phone?

Was there anything else?

No. Just the phone.

(Sook's Chinese Restaurant)

It was confirmed to be Jung's body.

Her daughter Lee visited a police substation the night of the murder,

and has disappeared.

The woman was murdered...

on the night of the 12th in her bathroom.

She was killed in an unusual manner.

Unlike other victims,

her stab wounds were centered around her face.

Such murders are unique,

- so the police... - Turn it off and rest.

aren't ruling anything out just yet.

Meanwhile, in Saju, middle-school student Cho...

went missing three days after this murder.

The police noted the two girls attend the same school...

Mom.

Our Jae Young...

I'll bring her back, even if it means losing my life.

So don't watch this.

Please don't.

I'm sorry. Did I wake you?

- What time is it? - It's 8pm.

You slept for just two hours.

Darn it. I need to go to work.

Then eat before you go.

It's the first case of its kind since you came here.

Yes.

I felt weird when I saw the news this morning.

Knowing that it's your case...

made me think the news is way too crude and violent.

The journalist punks are having fun.

They just make things worse.

The missing kid...

It's her, isn't it? Cho Kyung Ho's daughter.

You could know them.

Did you call the family?

Not yet.

What about your partner? Did he say anything?

Not much.

Cho Kyung Ho is Cho Kyung Ho and the victim is the victim.

Still, it won't be easy for him.

Just wait.

Did they ask for you too?

If it weren't for them...

What now?

What will you do about this?

(Gyeongcheon Girls Middle School)

So it's...

(Knock before you enter!)

The day she went missing,

you only saw her at lunchtime?

Yes.

Did Jae Young receive a call from someone?

No, she didn't.

You can relax and tell us anything that comes to mind.

Even if it seems insignificant.

Well...

What is it? Did you remember something?

So, a few days ago,

we were in the broadcasting studio with Jae Young.

Someone suddenly knocked on the door.

We checked,

and someone had left something by the door.

Why would you tell them that?

He said to tell him anything.

It's fine, go on.

- What did you find? - A tape.

A tape?

What kind of tape?

It sounded like a mental strengthening exercise.

That's sold at Lee Young Duk's Genius Academy.

A mental... What tape is that?

At first, we thought it was proof that our exams were being leaked.

It wasn't.

It was like a device that helps you concentrate.

What are you talking about?

The exam questions were leaked?

There's a rumor that...

Lee Young Duk's selling tapes with our exam questions on them.

Kyung Jin went to that academy,

so I don't think it's entirely unrelated.

My gosh...

Hey.

That tape. Where is it now?

(Teachers' Lounge)

(Broadcasting Studio)

What? It's gone?

We put it in here.

Did Jae Young take it?

Why would she do that?

How would I know?

Are you fooling around?

- Pardon? - From now on,

except for the morning broadcast, you can't use this room, okay?

How dare you make things up when the detectives are here?

I didn't lie.

You didn't alert the staff when you found something like that.

That's against the school rules. Do you know that?

The school rules? Which one?

What does this have to do with rules?

Hey. That's enough. Stop it.

Why should I stop?

Why are you so quiet?

You were there that day too.

How dare you talk back at your teacher?

I think that will do, sir.

Hyung In, why don't you go outside for a smoke?

Why?

We should let them sort things out.

That security guard.

They borrowed water to make instant noodles.

I remember everything.

There was no test that day,

so the only people in the school were kids in clubs...

that met during the vacation.

I have the visitors' log right here.

What is this?

What?

That? Well...

It looks like you wrote something and erased it.

That was... It wasn't like anyone checked at the logs.

I wrote them down so that I can remember.

But...

To be honest, I was debating whether or not to tell you.

It made me uneasy. This too.

What made you uneasy?

I was so shocked when I saw the news.

I was upset too.

It was her. The girl on the news.

The one who went missing.

Do you mean Lee Kyung Jin?

That's right.

She came to the school that day.

What? Lee Kyung Jin came to the school that day?

So you're saying this was Lee Kyung Jin's name.

Yes. That's correct.

I erased...

her name from the log.

Exactly. Why?

The thing is, she seemed strange that day.

She didn't talk to me as she normally does.

She said she needed to go to the classroom for a minute,

and went in and out.

Then she asked me...

if I put her name down in the visitors' log.

When I told her that I did,

she asked me to erase it.

So, I asked her why she wanted me to do that,

and she suddenly said, "Please."

She said her name can't be written in here.

I don't want anyone to know...

where I was today.

Okay, I got it.

I won't ask any questions.

I'll erase your name.

(Lee Kyung Jin)

See?

Happy?

Sir.

My mom said...

my dad...

didn't go to Japan for work,

but to see his mistress.

But...

if I do well on my exams,

he always comes to Korea and we eat spare ribs.

Is that right?

My mom said I had to come in first at all costs...

if I wanted Dad to come home often.

But I don't like it anymore.

Spare ribs are...

too sweet.

Child. I understand,

so have some green tea in here...

and warm yourself up.

You'll catch a cold.

There you go. Dry yourself.

Sir.

But the thing is...

that woman won't disappear.

I keep seeing her.

"That woman"? What woman?

She's there too.

In the schoolyard.

I don't see anyone.

Sir. It wasn't me.

It was all...

It was...

all her. She did it all.

What do you think?

What do you mean?

If Lee Kyung Jin said...

that the woman did it all,

it means she knows who the killer is, right?

Well... If what the guard said was true.

That means...

Lee Kyung Jin may be an accomplice to her mom's murder.

I don't mean to be rude and question you,

but the victim was stabbed eight times in the neck and face.

I mean, she was her mom.

I don't think that's possible.

Why does that matter?

What?

Why does that matter whether or not it's possible?

I'm not sure. I just...

I don't want to believe things like that could happen.

- Really? - Yes.

What if a daughter stabbed her mom eight times in the neck?

What if things you don't want to believe actually happened?

Would that solve it?

Well... That's not really it.

I just...

don't want to imagine it.

I don't think an ordinary kid would do something like that.

- Is that right? - Yes.

I disagree with you.

There are times like this when all we have are the results.

Horrific things that are too sickening to look at.

It is not our job to judge...

whether or not those things can happen.

We circle around incidents after they occur.

Which means...

we don't have to dig into everyone involved...

and expose them...

for who they really are.

Although you say that, you actually feel...

the same way I do. I know that.

Is that what you think?

It is.

You're right.

Right?

Or you may be wrong.

What?

What?

(Our students swept math competitions!)

You see "came" here.

And up here you see...

"had finished".

So what goes in between? "Already".

Sir, you have visitors.

Okay.

Would you ask them to wait in my office?

I'll be done in five minutes.

Yes, sir.

Should I guard the door?

This guy must love sweets.

Want candy?

(Sook's Chinese Restaurant)

Hwan Kyu.

Hwan Kyu!

My mom says you don't go clubbing on the weekends anymore.

- No. - What do you do then?

I go to church and stuff now.

Church? Really? Why the sudden change?

You know, Jung Hyun,

this life doesn't feel real at times.

I feel like my existence itself is fake.

It doesn't feel real.

There you go again, saying weird things.

Maybe I sniffed too much glue when I was a kid.

Ever since then, I've been spaced out.

So I just did all sorts of crazy stuff as you know.

Because everything seemed meaningless.

But strangely,

the church...

It's not exactly a church,

but after I started going to that place, I got better.

I see.

That's a relief.

Yes. It's all thanks to you and the boss.

No, you're the one doing well.

Here.

I should get going now.

You even gave me side dishes.

Would you like to come in for a while?

Since you helped me bring this all the way here.

It's fine. I know there's nothing much to eat when you live alone.

I still have instant coffee.

Forget it. Eat up the side dishes,

and tell the boss that you enjoyed it.

She really likes hearing that.

I will. Have a safe trip back.

Okay.

(Water and heater pipe cleaning)

(May 8, cabbage kimchi)

What is this?

I'm sure I've seen this before.

How strange. This changed.

(Lee Young Duk's Genius Academy)

How strange indeed.

What is he doing?

What on earth is he doing?

The guy who just left is Lee Young Duk, right?

Yes. I told him you're here, so why...

Darn it.

Lee Young Duk!

Watch out!

Are you okay?

- Are you okay? - Yes.

- That jerk... - You crazy jerk!

Hey!

Open the door!

Open the door!

Aren't you pushing it too far?

The prosecutors will go on about dragging him all the way here.

Let's say he's here as a witness.

What did the hospital say?

It's just a minor bruise. I'm fine.

That crazy punk, why did he do that?

There definitely is something.

Although we don't know what that is.

Look at him. What is he doing?

Isn't that the seventh one?

- Is he okay? - Let's watch for now.

We're not empty-handed on our side today,

and it's a waste to just let him go.

Did you find anything?

- Are you comfortable here? - No.

What do you mean no?

What are these?

Are you setting a world record?

I got nervous, so...

Why would you get nervous?

Did we handcuff you or lock you up?

This is not that kind of place! See, even the door's unlocked.

You can leave anytime you want.

You're here as a witness.

I made a mistake earlier.

You did, didn't you? Let's talk about that.

Thanks to you, the detective here almost kicked the bucket.

Why did you do that?

Well...

I suddenly got scared, so I stepped hard on the gas,

but the gear must've been set in reverse. I'm sorry.

What were you scared of?

That, you know.

After hearing about Lee Kyung Jin,

I was worried that I might be framed for it.

Why would we frame you when you didn't do anything?

Well,

we live in a world where they even make up crimes to bring you down.

What did you just say?

You've been running the academy in this town for almost 14 years.

Yes, that's right.

Each year, more than 90 percent of the academy's students...

get into prestigious universities.

You're really popular in this town for that.

Not at all.

It's because I only accept the selected few to begin with.

But I also heard that you sell a strange tape.

And it's sold at a very high price. Is that right?

How much do you sell it for?

If you don't mind, I'd like to hear it as well.

Well,

can I leave?

Pardon?

- You're leaving without answering? - Yes.

I've got nothing to say.

You said I don't need to answer.

- Then, don't answer. - What?

- We can talk about this later. - No!

I have nothing to say!

What are you doing with me here?

I was just bothered by the fact that one of the students...

committed suicide, so I was going to cooperate!

But you talk about the past needlessly!

Hold on. What did you just say?

I was going to cooperate as much as I can!

No, before that.

Suicide?

Lee Kyung Jin committed suicide?

Yes!

What I mean is...

I know it because I read the newspaper as well.

What are you saying?

The assumption of suicide was never out on the media.

That's...

The assumption of Lee Kyung Jin committing suicide...

was never released to the public!

What is wrong with him?

Haeng Chil, bring a mop!

Gosh, that's disgusting.

Join Our Telegram Group @OnlyKDrama

Excuse me.

I'm here to see Pastor Woo.

What is it about?

I told you over the phone.

I came to ask about Kim Hwan Kyu.

He's giving a sermon right now.

Why don't you wait?

My dear brothers and sisters.

Your children are currently studying at a prestigious high school.

And they always study until late to achieve their goals.

(Hansungbit Church)

But do you know...

which school keeps their lights on until the latest hour?

Have you ever thought about that?

Do you have the will...

to study at least ten minutes more than your competitors?

Joseph Choi is one of our brothers who proudly got accepted...

to the department of dentistry at Hanguk University last year.

And here's what he told me recently.

He told me that he studied so hard that he almost killed himself.

(Prayer service for CSAT examinees)

He even put a chamber pot in his room...

because he didn't want to waste time going to the bathroom.

He spat out blood due to his asthma,

but he just wiped it off and continued to study.

He came to church very diligently.

He asked a lot of questions and studied very hard...

to learn the messages of the divine being.

When was the last time Hwan Kyu came to church?

I'm not sure. I don't think he showed up after that incident.

What incident?

Do you really not know?

No, we weren't exactly close enough to share personal stories.

That day, we held a prayer service for the victims...

of the terror incident at Saju Station.

As you already know,

our church holds a prayer service for that incident every year.

- Yes. - While listening to my sermon,

he suddenly got up...

- We must never forget! - and started yelling.

No! That's not true! He's a con artist!

He said it was all fake and that I was a con artist.

I always knew he was a violent kid,

but that was my first time seeing him throw a fit like that.

Before I knew it,

he had already hurt himself with a knife.

It was a pretty deep wound,

so the floor was covered in blood.

When was that?

Over a year ago. It was before your mother opened her restaurant.

Do you remember...

what triggered him?

I don't remember exactly,

but the prayer service for that terror incident...

is always the same.

How does it go?

"We must never forget."

"Those who died that day."

"Those who were left behind."

"And the person..."

"who committed that crime."

(Sook's Chinese Restaurant)

(Sook's Chinese Restaurant)

Did you find anything out?

No.

Did you get any calls?

No.

The police called and asked if we got any calls.

Are the police officers even doing their jobs?

This is driving me crazy.

Let's just wait.

Jae Young's friend is here.

She waited over an hour for you.

Take your time.

- Get some rest. - Okay.

Ta-da.

Thank you for coming by.

Are you doing okay?

Me?

I'm not sure.

I can't really say. Things are just so hectic.

But I should pull myself together.

By any chance, did you get any calls from Jae Young?

No, not yet.

Did you eat?

It's okay.

No, you should eat. I'll fix something for you.

No, it's really okay.

Actually, to be honest,

I came to tell you something.

What is it?

Well...

Who do you think is the culprit?

Isn't it obvious?

You know who took Jae Young.

Yes, I know.

But I have a feeling that he didn't do it alone.

What do you mean?

Moon Sook, do you know something?

Gosh, this is nuts.

Jae Young said I should not tell you.

Okay, I'll keep it a secret.

I don't know what it is, but go on and tell me.

Well...

A few months ago, not too long after we became friends,

she told me that there's something I need to know about her...

if I wanted to be friends with her.

She told me that her dad...

is Cho Kyung Ho.

So I told her not to lie.

But she told me it was true...

and that no one else knew about it.

Then she told me something else.

What did she say?

Moon Sook.

She told me...

that he still contacts her.

I have a personal question for you.

Why Saju?

It's your hometown.

I don't understand.

It's where your family lives.

Couldn't you have chosen another location?

What difference does it make?

He still contacts her?

Who contacts her?

Her dad. He still contacts her.

Moon Sook, that's absurd.

You know that her dad...

is in prison.

Yes.

That's why I also thought it was absurd.

But yesterday, I suddenly remembered what Jae Young had told me.

Apparently, one of your friends from high school...

has been giving her letters from her dad.

My friend? Who?

Are you serious? She really said that to you?

Yes, that's what she told me.

Committing an act of terror where your family lives...

is no different from committing a terror attack...

elsewhere?

Is there some kind of reason that we don't know about?

Did you experience something as a child?

No, it was just an easy location to conduct an experiment.

An experiment?

What kind of experiment are you talking about?

Nerve gas was often used as a weapon to kill people in wars.

What exactly was it that you wanted to find out?

You don't understand...

what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about a very difficult experiment.

And it takes a very long time...

to finish that experiment.

(Disinfected Area)

Ms. Kang!

You have a visitor!

(Cheonyang Filtration Plant)

I imitated a traditional cocktail I had in Tibet.

It tastes completely different,

but it's not bad. Try it.

Drink that and sleep well tonight.

Do you work late often?

It's not just me. We take turns.

It doesn't look like much, but we provide the water of life.

We can't afford to let an accident happen.

- It must be tough. - It's fine.

You look much worse than before.

Can I help with anything?

Jung Hyun. Is something wrong?

No.

Min Jae.

What do you think about that punk?

Who do you mean?

Cho Kyung Ho.

Your brother, you mean?

That punk...

isn't my brother anymore.

I never considered him family since that day.

Others...

won't know how much our family hates him.

- They won't. - Even if they did know,

when they see us,

they'd be reminded of him.

Everyone's different.

Min Jae.

This happened not long after we came back.

Is it a coincidence?

Jae Young got abducted, is it a coincidence as well?

Jung Hyun.

Should we...

not have come back?

Today's mental strengthening exercise ends here.

Play this repeatedly over the remaining time you have...

in order to continue the mental strengthening exercise.

Thank you.

Cho Kyung Ho, I'll ask you again.

What is the experiment about?

Do you not wish to answer?

Cho Kyung Ho.

This is very nice.

Isn't it?

What do you think?

About what?

Couldn't this be a serial murder?

It could be.

Are you all right?

Did I tell you about my wife?

No, you haven't.

Back in 1987,

the Saju Station terrorist attack.

My wife...

was there that day.

We'd been separated at the time.

It was just a month after my wife had moved back in.

The day before she died,

over something trivial I don't even remember anymore,

I was out drinking.

I was like that then.

I left her alone at home.

I drank so much.

Every day,

I made up an excuse.

I came home wasted again that day as well.

The house was empty.

No one was home.

- Si Jeong. - Yes?

To this day, I still wonder...

what if...

What if I had gone straight home that day...

instead of drinking alone?

Would things have been different?

Would she...

still be alive today?

The phone rang around 10am the next day,

and I just knew.

I was hungover and out of it,

but I had an eerie feeling and couldn't get myself to answer it.

The phone, which I had heard every day,

suddenly sounded so unnerving that it gave me chills.

I spaced out and listened to it ring for a while before answering.

Who called?

The hospital.

They called as soon as they identified my wife.

They said she was in the attack and was in critical condition.

I still don't understand.

Where was she going...

that she was in the station?

I think that short phone call changed my life.

Ever since that day,

my heart sinks every time I hear the phone ring.

But when I heard the phone ring this morning,

it was like that sound...

was going to swallow me whole.

It felt strangely unnerving as it did that day.

I think...

the events that are occurring now...

may be much more serious...

than we envision.

How may I help you?

South Gyeongsang Provincial Police, Violent Crimes Department.

Detective Choi Hyung In and Lee Si Jeong.

You can't drive any farther.

You'll have to walk.

The road is narrow and it rained like crazy yesterday.

I think we'll have to walk.

Okay.

Listen from after the director's comments as you walk.

Put the volume on max.

Sorry. Did I wake you?

No. I should get up.

What time is it?

I haven't slept this much in days.

You didn't even sleep that much.

I made breakfast. It's in the break room.

Let's eat.

What were you watching?

You said you wanted to watch it.

I carry it with me to give it to you when I see you.

Look at this. We were...

really ugly.

Look at me. I'm ugly and I'm frowning.

(Gyeongcheon High School Magazine Club)

Young Seob.

Do you remember what we took this picture with?

The camera that Young Seob always had on him.

He bragged like crazy that it was expensive.

Yes, that camera.

He bragged that it was Japanese.

He always mentioned the price.

"It was 100,000 yen."

That's right. "It was 100,000 yen."

He said it was 1,000 dollars.

He bragged about it so much that we still remember it now.

All of those photos were taken with this camera.

Which photos?

Don't you remember?

We were totally popular with the kids back then.

That one. It became huge after we wrote about it.

Some kids sold our school magazine to kids from other schools.

Don't you remember?

We were huge.

Which article?

(Enigmatic Saju, 7 Secret Spots)

(Gyeongcheon High's Magazine Staff Has Visited 7 Secret Spots.)

Play this repeatedly over the remaining time you have...

in order to continue the mental strengthening exercise.

Thank you.

(Police, Lee Si Jeong)

No!

No!

That can't be my daughter!

That can't be my daughter!

No!

No!

This was it.

What?

What I was forgetting.

This was it.

(Hometown)

It was never just a murder incident out in the suburbs.

We started off on the wrong track.

What is it that you want to know?

Even if it was over ten years ago,

how could we forget something like this?

There's something you've forgotten.

That woman exists at a place where things are upside down.

By any chance, did that person do all this?

You still should've told me!

Things can never go back to how they were before.