Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 15 - Episode #1.15 - full transcript
A new manuscript rattles Gyeoroo. Eun Ho takes matters into his hands.
WE
MET
THE TWO OF THEM
MET MANY PEOPLE
THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER
AND READ MANY BOOKS
TAKING WALKS, TRAVELING, READING
LOVE, TIME,
FRIENDSHIP, COMMUNICATION
ONCE AGAIN, I OPEN THE BOOK ABOUT YOU
Mr. Kang was ill.
VOLUME 15
And Eun-ho has been taking care of him
the whole time.
July 5th, 2007.
I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
I asked over and over again
because I couldn't believe it,
but my friend's answer didn't change.
I can't believe
I'll forget how to communicate
and lose my ability to write.
KANG BYEONG-JUN SPECIAL LECTURE
I'm intimidated by
the days I'll have to
get through from now on.
Eun-ho has been coming by every day.
When I ask him why he keeps coming by,
he just smiles.
Today, we went out for a walk together.
It was a beautiful day,
so the walk lifted my spirits.
There's no way I'd know
a young man like you.
Mr. Kang!
I found my old journals.
In it, I had written about
my son visiting me.
Have I been writing constantly
despite
my deteriorating cognitive abilities?
Thank goodness
that habit of mine is still intact.
It makes me feel like
I can still call myself a writer.
Maybe the son I wrote about was Eun-ho.
It's been a long time
since I started to think of him as my son.
Mr. Kang.
Mr. Kang...
Mr. Kang, please don't do this.
Mr. Kang!
September 12, 2009.
I got Eun-ho to promise me...
Promise me, Eun-ho.
...that he'll make sure
I can die as author Kang Byeong-jun,
not as a senile old man
who lost his memory.
I asked him to make sure
my chronology can end
with my disappearance,
not with Alzheimer's disease.
I lived to write books,
so I told him I wished to be remembered as
a man who dedicated his life to
writing novels even after my death.
I told him that I'll die as an author
because that's who I was my entire life.
Hence, I wrote my will,
a declaration of
the end of my writing career.
It'll be my last piece of writing.
I thought about what
Eun-ho must've gone through
and what he must've felt
every time people misunderstood him.
You who love the stars
That must've been why
Eun-ho was sitting in the front yard
all alone.
Because of his promise to Mr. Kang,
which he had to keep even from me.
And so did you
I just need you too.
That one person who knows me well.
Even if the whole world turns
its back on me...
"He must have his reasons.
There must be an explanation for it.
He must have done it
in order to protect something
that he wants to protect."
You...
At least, you will give me
the benefit of the doubt, right?
And that's why
that was all he could say.
There were so many things
that he wanted to say,
but he had to keep it all inside.
The thought
of him suffering all alone broke my heart.
And I couldn't help but cry
because I knew that
I couldn't go back in time
and be there for him.
Dan-i.
Dan-i, where are you?
Dan-i.
Where did she go?
Dan-i, are you in the attic?
Dan-i.
Mr. Kang...
You're taking care of him, right?
In Kapyong...
Mr. Kang is in Kapyong, right?
Look at me.
I know what you must be thinking,
but I'm okay.
You see,
I thought of it as a responsibility
I must carry.
That's why I'm okay.
I'm sorry
for being so clueless.
Even without you telling me,
I should've known,
but I had no idea.
I'm sorry, Eun-ho.
This...
This is Mr. Kang's manuscript.
The last novel he said he would write.
The Heroes.
The Heroes.
"Park Jung-hoon"?
THE HEROES
All those years
you've been suffering alone
and I had absolutely no idea.
That breaks my heart.
On some days, you must've cried all alone.
And I bet there were days
when you couldn't sleep.
At times, you must've felt so alone,
thinking that you have no one to lean on.
It pains me to know
that you lived like that
for so long.
It's very nice here.
I've never slept in this room.
Shall we sleep here tonight?
Just tell me that I did the right thing.
The whole time, I wanted to hear that.
That I did the right thing.
I know you, Eun-ho.
You must've agonized over it
hundreds of times,
trying to figure out
what's best for Mr. Kang.
You did the right thing.
You certainly did.
Who is it?
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, dear Yeong-cheol
Happy birthday to you
Mr. Bong, what brings you here?
It's your birthday
so of course I should visit.
I wanted to come by earlier
and make seaweed soup for you,
but I had to visit my brother.
What's with that face?
You must be touched.
-I bet no other editor does this for you.
-Thank you.
-Did you have seaweed soup?
-Wait.
These are women's shoes...
Should I not have come...
These shoes look very familiar.
Yeong-cheol, who is it?
What are you doing?
Yeong-a.
Did you also stop by
to wish him a happy birthday?
When did you get here?
-Yesterday.
-What?
Yesterday?
What...
Why? What the hell? Yesterday?
What do you mean?
Yeong-a.
Do you think this makes sense?
What doesn't make sense to you?
I told you that I'm seeing someone.
What I'm thinking didn't happen, right?
Tell me that it didn't.
Yeong-a.
Did you sleep with him?
Did you really sleep with him?
Yes, I did.
Hey, how...
How could you say that?
Yeong-a, how could you do this to me?
It's only been a year
since he signed a contract with us.
How could you sleep with someone
you met through work--
What about us?
Did we meet randomly on the street
and end up getting married?
We met at work as well.
Our case is different!
What was so special about our case?
What was special about us?
Hey, we were special.
What was special? Special, my ass.
Hey, what we had was special.
How could you say that about us?
Yeong-a, wait!
Yeong-a, let's talk. Please? Don't leave.
Let go.
I said, let go.
My gosh.
Gosh, how scary.
Women can be so ruthless.
Once they turn their backs on you,
that's it.
AUTHOR CHRONOLOGY
Will you promise me
that you won't write my chronology?
And that you'll make sure I can die
as author Kang Byeong-jun,
not as a senile old man?
Please promise me, Eun-ho.
SONG HAE-RIN
Hey, Hae-rin.
You'll come here now?
Why?
There's a manuscript you should read.
Someone sent us a manuscript
titled The Heroes.
I skimmed through it just in case,
and I think you should take a look at it.
What's the title again?
The Heroes.
It's the last novel
Mr. Kang Byeong-jun said he'd write.
Someone sent us a manuscript of it.
This is the manuscript we received.
I made a copy of it for myself.
I looked up the address, and it's fake.
The phone number doesn't exist either.
As for the e-mail address,
I'm not sure whether it's real or not.
FROM PARK JUNG-HOON
So, you've read it?
Either Mr. Kang has come back,
or...
someone is copying Mr. Kang's style.
That's what I think.
I joined Gyeoroo because it's the firm
to which Mr. Kang transferred
his publication rights
after declaring his retirement.
I was curious.
But after joining Gyeoroo,
I realized how odd it is.
No one answered when I asked
who received Mr. Kang's declaration.
Even now, you're just sitting there
without saying anything.
You were
one of the first founding members.
Do you really not know
who received the declaration and contract
regarding Mr. Kang's publication rights?
I'll take a look at it.
You said it was sent to the office.
Has anyone else seen it?
Yes, Ji-yul saw it.
In fact, I got the manuscript from her.
Let's talk more at work
after I go over it.
Get home safely.
FROM PARK JUNG-HOON
148-23 ANYEONG-DONG, JONGNO-GU, SEOUL
Hello, Mr. Park Jung-hoon.
I'm Chief Editor Cha Eun-ho
from Gyeoroo Publishing.
I've read the manuscript you sent us,
and I have a few questions about
your novel, The Heroes.
I would love to speak with you
over the phone first,
but when I called the phone number
you sent, it said it doesn't exist.
Here's my number.
Call me
if you'd like to publish your novel.
SENDER: PARK JUNG-HOON
SUBJECT: THIS IS PARK JUNG-HOON
If you tried calling the number,
I'm sure you also know
that the address is fake as well.
Then I bet you've already figured out
that I wish to communicate
via e-mail only.
Please e-mail me back
if you'd like to publish the novel.
I'll give you one week.
I'm in a bit of a rush.
One week?
So, Eun-ho knows
that I'm not Mr. Kang.
Where is he? And what is he up to?
I'm sure Cha Eun-ho knows.
He's the one who holds the key.
APRIL 23
KANG BYEONG-JUN
Eun-ho!
Hey.
Have you read the manuscript?
I e-mailed the writer,
and he wrote me back.
I'll forward you his reply.
So, the e-mail address was real.
What if...
What if it's actually Mr. Kang?
Many authors change their writing styles
and publish their new work
under a pseudonym, you know.
Even Romain Gary published novels
under a pseudonym, Émile Ajar.
Well... I'll look into it further,
so don't tell anyone else about
the manuscript until we find out more.
All right, got it.
I'll let Ji-yul know as well.
Let's go.
Why did you give it to Mr. Cha?
Since it was sent from one of our readers,
shouldn't the editor who received it
be in charge of it?
Yes, that's how it should be.
But that manuscript--
Because it's
Mr. Kang Byeong-jun's manuscript?
You know that I'm working very hard
these days, right?
Are new employees not allowed to work
with famous writers like Mr. Kang?
Ji-yul.
Who sent that manuscript?
Park Jung-hoon.
Someone named Park Jung-hoon
sent it to us.
We need to vet it first.
Do you understand?
Let's have Mr. Cha handle it for now.
Be on the lookout for other manuscripts.
I'm sure you'll find a better one.
All right?
Yes, ma'am.
But I want to do it.
Yes, I'm sorry.
Mr. Nam isn't here right now.
I'm sorry.
I'll make sure you get paid soon.
I'm sorry.
Wasn't that the fifth call today
saying they didn't get paid?
Dan-i.
Yes, sir.
Dan-i, we took a look
at the marketing proposal
-you gave us.
-Yes?
It was great and ingenious.
But it looked a little pricey.
Aren't there a lot of marketing strategies
that are free?
For example, we could use virality.
Okay, then. I'll change it to
a low-budget marketing proposal.
I read the manuscript you'll be publishing
on the first half of this year.
Isn't it great?
Don't you think it's going
to be a best seller?
I was thinking...
you should reconsider the publication.
Why?
Is it not good?
Well...
There was nothing unique
about this writer.
Some of his writings even overlap with
other novels that are on the internet.
And it's not much different to the books
that already been published.
Dan-i, if novels are short and light,
does that mean they're low quality novels?
The answer is no.
There's a reason
why novels like those sell so well.
It's just the trend.
The readers are comforted by
short and light novels.
Okay.
I need to endure this.
Let's hang in there.
EUN-HO
How about you do some part-time work
as Cha Eun-ho's assistant?
Let's go to the library
and have dinner afterward.
Sure, I'd love that.
Here it is.
Here.
I want you to summarize
how parents can affect their children
starting from their early infancy
until they turn six years old.
-Okay.
-Okay?
Okay, Mr. Cha.
Focus on your book.
Dan-i.
I saw Mr. Na's poetry collection
in your bag earlier.
Yes, I really like it.
So I carry it around with me
and read it over and over again.
Out of all the poems,
Because of You is my favorite one.
"Because of you, I do not sway
until the very end
regardless of how windy it gets."
"Although this world is
full of frowns and grimaces,
because of you, I've become someone
who can smile even when I'm on my own."
"Thank you. I am happy
for I could stay strong
even during the most difficult days."
Why are you looking at me like that?
If you keep looking at me like that,
I'll kiss you in the middle of the street.
-I'd just do it if I were you.
-Dan-i.
Dan-i, okay.
I'll just do it this time.
-Give me one more chance.
-No.
-It's too late.
-Come on. Let me try again.
-No, thank you.
-Come here.
-You can't do it.
-Yes, I can.
I could've done a really good job on
The Heroes.
I mean, no one knows yet.
How can they be sure it's
Mr. Kang Byeong-jun's work?
Right.
What are you doing?
You're not listening to me.
GYU-SEOK
HYE-IN
SEND A MESSAGE
That's a girl.
This is fun.
It connects you with various people
who live nearby.
Does that mean
it just connected you with this girl?
Yes.
I'd like to meet her.
I should get off here.
Hey, we still have one more stop to go.
-You can go.
-Are you on your way to meet her?
Yes.
Thank you, sir.
What should I do?
I should've gotten off.
He's meeting a girl.
Sir, can I get off right now?
I really need to get off, sir.
It's not like I took a train.
Why is the next stop so far away?
Gosh.
Wait for me, Hoon!
-Goodness.
-Are you okay?
Something doesn't feel right.
I have a really accurate hunch.
And my sensitive heart is
feeling really anxious right now.
-I'll come back after I calm down a bit.
-Okay, sure.
I'll be fine.
Goodness, excuse me.
But I have something to tell you
about the guy who was just sitting here.
I'm his roommate.
What? So?
What do you mean "So?"
Don't you know what a roommate is?
It means I'm living with the guy
that was sitting here.
Shouldn't you feel
at least a little bit guilty?
Excuse me.
Keep in mind
that he's living with me right now.
The toilet is clogged.
This is a serious situation.
People are waiting in line.
Can you please unclog it
as soon as possible?
Please.
I'm sorry.
I'd love to study with people
who are working in the same field.
When can I join the study group?
I don't think you can join.
Why not? I'm a passionate
and ambitious marketer.
Your roommate is way too scary.
She just came here and threw a fit.
Ji-yul was here?
Why?
Why was she here? Hey, wait.
Why did you do that, Ji-yul?
Ji-yul, why did you do that?
Why did you go there?
Don't tell me you like Hoon.
No way.
I don't like Hoon.
Ji-yul!
What's your problem? I heard you came to
the cafe and threw a fit.
What's going on?
Why is my heart beating so fast?
No, it can't be.
Why did you do that?
Do you know how hard it was
to find a marketer who lives nearby?
A marketer?
That's why you met her?
Oh, I get it now.
You wanted to meet a marketer.
You must've wanted to meet someone
who works in the same field.
I guess I was mistaken.
You're scaring me. Stop it.
This is so weird. Why does it feel like
I've read this before?
I wonder why I feel this way.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN 7 DAYS
There's just one more week left.
You also entered the contest?
Of course.
I'm also an employee here.
That means
the founding members
are busy evaluating our work right now.
Let's see.
Gosh, you startled me.
I don't accept any bribes.
I'm a fair person.
Mr. Kim.
Did you find anything good?
If you're talking about the contest,
we agreed to evaluate it separately.
I saw something interesting about...
Don't tell me.
It will affect my evaluation.
We need to be fair when we evaluate.
I was just talking to myself.
Bye.
Hello?
Excuse me.
PUBLICATION PROPOSAL
-Just a second.
-Gosh, it's mine.
It's mine.
I'm going to win the prize money.
The winner's going to be me.
Yes, thank you.
No problem.
NUMBER: 54
It's mine.
It's going to be me.
Did you really sleep with Yeong-cheol?
-Yes.
-No, you're lying.
You just went there
because he works with us,
and it happened to be his birthday.
Think whatever you want.
What are you...
Hey, tell me it's not true.
I realized this time around
that I need three men.
A funny guy, a rich guy,
-and a guy who's good.
-What?
Good at what?
What...
There's no way. She's just bluffing.
She's just...
I'm going to kill Yeong-cheol.
PART-TIME MENTORING
MEETING A TRUE MENTOR
This is nice.
MARKETABILITY, CREATIVITY
OUTSTANDING
MEETING A TRUE MENTOR
COULD THIS BE DAN-I'S PROPOSAL?
My gosh.
You can't see it.
I just came to give you this.
You don't work here anymore.
I seriously just came to give you this.
Drink some while working.
-With no strings attached?
-Of course.
Goodness, really?
Go over there.
Don't come here, okay?
You'd better not come here.
This one stands out the most.
It has a clear concept,
and I like that it's trendy
and marketable.
I agree.
I like the idea of approaching our readers
as adults and mentors.
The best thing about this proposal is
that it has a long-term business value.
I like that it's going to be a paperback,
and I like how the book
is going to be organized.
It was the most realistic proposal
that coincides with the industry of today.
So everyone likes it. I do too.
It can be published
in the form of a series.
Whoever suggested it
has a long-term perspective.
-Then it's a unanimous decision, right?
-Right.
Then let's see who suggested this.
Gosh, this is nerve-wracking.
Once we type in the number,
we'll see who the winner is.
I wonder who it is.
I'll let you know in a second.
Who knows? It could be Ji-yul.
-That's right.
-I doubt it.
I'm not kidding. She's been working hard.
All right.
I'll now press "enter."
-Is it Ji-yul?
-Really?
What?
-What's wrong?
-Who is it?
-Is it Ji-yul?
-I'm going to get a cup of coffee.
Why?
-What's wrong?
-Who is it?
Who won?
-No way.
-Unbelievable.
CONGRATULATIONS! NUMBER 56,
TASK SUPPORT TEAM, KANG DAN-I
It was Dan-i's?
But she no longer works here.
Should we choose someone else then?
It's not like we can rehire her.
What do we do?
-Maybe I should check again.
-What's the point?
I knew she'd go out with a bang.
That's my Dan-i.
Jeez.
What's wrong with the translation?
It's as if a number of people
each translated a different section.
The tone is not consistent.
SHE'S NOT AN ANGEL
SHE'S NOT AN ANGEL
What is this?
I AM SATISFIED
I AM SATISFIED
It's the same.
No way.
Even the errors are the same.
So this translator
copy and pasted sections from
books that have already been translated?
The translator must be insane.
THE SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER
-Sir, you're back.
-That I am.
Sir.
I don't think we can publish
this manuscript.
-There is a problem with the translation.
-What do you mean?
What problem are you talking about?
I'm sorry to say this,
but it's a mixture of translations
from different books.
See? Even the mistakes are the same.
-Dan-i.
-Yes, sir.
I'll contact the translator myself.
Don't make a big deal out of it.
Did you...
know about this?
I've already paid the translator
and we've settled on a book design.
It's hard to start over.
Then what about the people
who worked hard to make those books?
What about the translators
that actually did the work?
Dan-i.
Why don't you go back to your work
instead of arguing with me here?
Ji-yul, Isn't the result supposed
to come out today?
That's right. Isn't the competition winner
being announced today?
Why haven't we heard anything yet?
Caffeine. I need coffee.
What is it? What do you want?
-Sorry?
-Look away.
-What?
-Get back to work.
Sure.
Is that fun?
This was the problem.
Why did we write this on the announcement?
"Anyone of Gyeoroo Publishing
can enter the contest."
Anyone.
Anyone?
If only we had corrected this...
This includes contract employees too.
Mr. Cha!
Mr. Cha just left for his lecture.
Damn it.
What are we going to do?
It's almost time to make the announcement.
I'm talking about Dan-i.
We need to be fair.
It was an anonymous contest.
But how on earth can we be fair now?
Doesn't our company
have a special recruitment policy?
A special recruitment?
Wait. Can we do that?
Why are you asking me?
It's in the regulations.
-What's going on?
-I don't know.
This is unbelievable.
THE SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER
JOYS AND SORROWS OF WORK
Let's just print 7,000 copies.
Who'd buy 7,000 copies of a book
by a no-name rookie author?
Why did you make a book that won't sell
to begin with?
We're having this meeting now
to figure out a way to make it sell.
Then 5,000 it is.
Let's start with 5,000 copies.
Since it's his debut novel,
we'll do a good job with marketing...
That must be Ms. Yu's manuscript.
Where? Where is it?
I can smell it.
It is the smell of a best seller.
I don't want to stick stickers
on those books either.
But
I can't let 5,000 copies get shredded
into little pieces of paper.
Everyone, we just got additional orders
for two books.
That one's mine.
I did it. I edited that book.
What did I tell you?
I told you it'd do well.
Are you kidding? That's because
the marketing strategy was nice.
This is wrong.
LETTER OF RESIGNATION
A letter of resignation?
Dan-i, what--
This is an act of robbery.
Copying and pasting
other people's translations?
What does that mean
for the editors of those books?
What does it mean for the marketers
who worked hard to sell those books?
You're stealing their hard work
and readers will buy this book
without knowing anything.
Still, you can't resign--
I can't work here anymore.
I feel bad for the papers and trees.
I'm too embarrassed to face
other publishers and editors.
That's why I can't work here anymore.
Dan-i...
I'm unemployed again.
I seriously need to learn
how to control my temper.
You idiot.
Mr. Kim, how--
Are you Ms. Kang Dan-i?
Yes.
I'm President Kim Jae-min
of Gyeoroo Publishing.
I'm here
to offer you a job.
You will receive a raise of 150 percent.
But why...
I've been doing well
at this publishing company though.
Well, is that so?
Then how about 200 percent?
I'm going to be a founding member.
It's a small company,
so building it together is fun--
You'll be in the Marketing Team,
not the Task Support Team.
You'll be scouted
based on our special recruitment policy.
Really?
I just lost my appetite.
Are you saying that it's over
between you and that tall girl?
You bored her, didn't you?
Young ladies these days
like men with a sense of humor.
Stop teasing me.
I already feel bad about it.
If she left, then
you should just let her go.
Is that why you had me
without letting him know?
It was for the best, wasn't it?
I was given a sweet boy like you.
Don't you miss him?
I do want to see him once more,
but life doesn't turn out the way
you want it to.
Kim Hyeon.
CHARACTER CHART FOR THE HEROES
Ahn Yeong-ju.
Park Seong-hun.
Aren't you heading home?
I still have something to check.
If you haven't had dinner,
why don't we order something?
Ms. Go is still here too.
It's all right.
I'm cleaning up and heading home.
Sure.
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
LEE JEONG-SEOP
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
LEE JEONG-SEOP
Answer me.
Did you send out the notice or not?
I did.
I asked Dan-i to do it.
Remember? I asked you
to send the report regarding
the contract termination to Sales Support.
I never received such a report--
I asked you to take care of it
before Ms. Yu's book reading event.
I have no choice.
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
Go in faster.
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
What's happening? What am I going to do?
Song-i, you know that...
Yes?
What is it? Has the shredder broken down?
Why...
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
LEE JEONG-SEOP
Chae Song-i.
Does this mean
it was your mistake, not Dan-i's?
Did you blame the contract worker
for your mistake?
No, that's not true. I didn't.
I just forgot about it.
Did you think it would be over
if you just got rid of the contract?
What is going on, Ms. Go?
Make sure she writes a report about this.
It was Song-i who made the mistake
about Lee Jeong-seop's
contract termination.
I really thought I asked her to send it.
But it all worked out in the end.
I heard that Mr. Kim rehired her.
I'm sorry.
APPROVAL REQUEST FOR NEW ORDERS
This garbage!
I'll get this out of your sight.
-Let go.
-I'll throw it away.
-Will you just let go?
-I'll throw it away for you.
APPROVAL REQUEST FOR NEW ORDERS
THE HEROES
YEONG-JU RAN INTO THE YARD WITH THE BOOK
"Yeong-ju ran into the yard with the book.
Hyeon ran after her.
Yeong-ju and Hyeon's bright laughter
filled their small yard."
What's the title...
It was Ji Seo-jun.
It's Ji Seo-jun.
Why the hell did he do this?
No, I should call Eun-ho first.
SONG HAE-RIN
So when are you coming back to work?
I start tomorrow.
You should rest for a few days.
I want to start working right away.
I miss everyone too.
Tomorrow is Friday.
Do you want to go on a trip after work?
I'm sorry, but I'm going to
Kapyong to visit Mr. Kang tomorrow.
Let's go next week.
-Think of a place you want to go.
-Okay.
I couldn't stop thinking about that.
What?
The diary said his son visited him.
He wrote something else in his diary.
That he considers me his son.
No.
He thought you were his son
because he couldn't remember his son.
I did find that weird.
I didn't visit Mr. Kang that day,
but he kept mixing up the dates. Sometimes
he even forgot to write the dates.
Who is it at this hour?
It's Ms. Song. What should I do?
It's fine.
Hae-rin knows that we live together.
Eun-ho, why didn't you answer your phone?
-My phone? Where did I put it?
-Open up. it's urgent.
Okay.
What should I do? I should be in my room.
No, that's okay. Stay here.
Stay here.
Eun-ho, the manuscript for The Heroes...
It's been a while, Ms. Song.
Dan-i, have you been well?
I heard that
you will be coming back to work.
Congratulations.
Sit down first. We'll talk then.
Why didn't you answer your phone?
Do you know how many times I called you?
I don't know. Where did my phone go?
-I'll go look for it.
-Okay.
Eun-ho, it was Ji Seo-jun.
The writer who wrote The Heroes.
It was Ji Seo-jun.
It's definitely the same sentence
from the shredded paper I saw that day.
He majored in Korean Literature.
That's all right. Sit down.
It's about work.
It was on vibrate, so I couldn't hear it.
I didn't tell you because you might worry.
Someone sent our company a manuscript.
The title is The Heroes.
You just thought
of Mr. Kang Byeong-jun, right?
But the name of the writer
was Park Jung-hoon.
Something seemed off,
so we were keeping it between ourselves.
I've just found out
that it was Seo-jun
who wrote the manuscript.
DATE OF BIRTH: 04.23.91
"April 23."
Pardon?
That's Seo-jun's birthday.
It was on his contract.
-What's the passcode?
-It's 0423.
-It's 0423?
-Yes.
Okay. 0423.
BLUE NIGHT
APRIL 23
BLUE NIGHT
APRIL 23
November 20, 2008.
My son visited me.
He's the son.
He's Mr. Kang's son.
What do you mean?
I think Seo-jun
is Mr. Kang's son.
Wait...
Mr. Kang lived alone all his life,
didn't he?
There's something
you're not telling me, right?
Shouldn't I know?
THE HEROES
FROM PARK JUNG-HOON
CHA EUN-HO
Mr. Ji, this is Cha Eun-ho.
Let's meet tomorrow afternoon.
Please help my mom. That's all I ask.
Please help her,
sir.
I didn't think
you would like places like this.
I was in high school
when I first came here.
Back then,
I only had green onion pancakes.
Mr. Kang really liked this bar.
I thought you'd like this one as well.
You're Mr. Kang Byeong-jun's fan.
Are you telling me that
Mr. Kang wrote this novel?
People who don't know him well
might think that he did,
but I beg to differ.
How can you be so sure?
No one would write a full-length novel
just because they're his fan,
Mr. Park Jung-hoon.
Shall I let you in on a secret?
The secret behind the title
of Mr. Kang's last novel, April 23.
A FAIR PART OF THIS UNFAIR WORLD
IS EVERYONE LIVES ONCE
WHAT KIND OF LIFE IT'LL BE
DEPENDS ON YOU
KEEPING A PROMISE IS RARE LIKE A STAR
IN DARKNESS THAT IS MEANT TO SHINE
SHE CRIED FOR ME
AND I WIPED AWAY HER TEARS
THAT WAS ENOUGH TO COMFORT ME
I THOUGHT HAPPY ENDINGS WERE LAME,
BUT I KNOW WE MUST TRY HARD TO GET IT
WE'RE SMALL, BUT WE CAN GO ANYWHERE
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU WANT IT ENOUGH
PASSION SPREADS
LIKE THE WARMTH OF A FIRE SPREADS
IT BECOMES COMFORT, HOPE, AND HAPPINESS
I DECIDED NOT TO REGRET LEAVING HIM ALONE
INSTEAD, I DECIDED TO LOVE HIM MORE DEEPLY
Everything you want to know is
inside this shopping bag.
Take a look.
I'm right here, Seo-jun.
I want to be here for you.
What? I came
because I was worried about him.
Congratulations!
-Look at me.
-Goodness, Dan-i is so lucky,
to have such a warmhearted boyfriend.
April 23.
That question was what tortured me
the most for the past ten years.
APRIL 23
MY SON VISITED ME
"I've never forgotten you.
I remember you."
MET
THE TWO OF THEM
MET MANY PEOPLE
THEY SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER
AND READ MANY BOOKS
TAKING WALKS, TRAVELING, READING
LOVE, TIME,
FRIENDSHIP, COMMUNICATION
ONCE AGAIN, I OPEN THE BOOK ABOUT YOU
Mr. Kang was ill.
VOLUME 15
And Eun-ho has been taking care of him
the whole time.
July 5th, 2007.
I was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
I asked over and over again
because I couldn't believe it,
but my friend's answer didn't change.
I can't believe
I'll forget how to communicate
and lose my ability to write.
KANG BYEONG-JUN SPECIAL LECTURE
I'm intimidated by
the days I'll have to
get through from now on.
Eun-ho has been coming by every day.
When I ask him why he keeps coming by,
he just smiles.
Today, we went out for a walk together.
It was a beautiful day,
so the walk lifted my spirits.
There's no way I'd know
a young man like you.
Mr. Kang!
I found my old journals.
In it, I had written about
my son visiting me.
Have I been writing constantly
despite
my deteriorating cognitive abilities?
Thank goodness
that habit of mine is still intact.
It makes me feel like
I can still call myself a writer.
Maybe the son I wrote about was Eun-ho.
It's been a long time
since I started to think of him as my son.
Mr. Kang.
Mr. Kang...
Mr. Kang, please don't do this.
Mr. Kang!
September 12, 2009.
I got Eun-ho to promise me...
Promise me, Eun-ho.
...that he'll make sure
I can die as author Kang Byeong-jun,
not as a senile old man
who lost his memory.
I asked him to make sure
my chronology can end
with my disappearance,
not with Alzheimer's disease.
I lived to write books,
so I told him I wished to be remembered as
a man who dedicated his life to
writing novels even after my death.
I told him that I'll die as an author
because that's who I was my entire life.
Hence, I wrote my will,
a declaration of
the end of my writing career.
It'll be my last piece of writing.
I thought about what
Eun-ho must've gone through
and what he must've felt
every time people misunderstood him.
You who love the stars
That must've been why
Eun-ho was sitting in the front yard
all alone.
Because of his promise to Mr. Kang,
which he had to keep even from me.
And so did you
I just need you too.
That one person who knows me well.
Even if the whole world turns
its back on me...
"He must have his reasons.
There must be an explanation for it.
He must have done it
in order to protect something
that he wants to protect."
You...
At least, you will give me
the benefit of the doubt, right?
And that's why
that was all he could say.
There were so many things
that he wanted to say,
but he had to keep it all inside.
The thought
of him suffering all alone broke my heart.
And I couldn't help but cry
because I knew that
I couldn't go back in time
and be there for him.
Dan-i.
Dan-i, where are you?
Dan-i.
Where did she go?
Dan-i, are you in the attic?
Dan-i.
Mr. Kang...
You're taking care of him, right?
In Kapyong...
Mr. Kang is in Kapyong, right?
Look at me.
I know what you must be thinking,
but I'm okay.
You see,
I thought of it as a responsibility
I must carry.
That's why I'm okay.
I'm sorry
for being so clueless.
Even without you telling me,
I should've known,
but I had no idea.
I'm sorry, Eun-ho.
This...
This is Mr. Kang's manuscript.
The last novel he said he would write.
The Heroes.
The Heroes.
"Park Jung-hoon"?
THE HEROES
All those years
you've been suffering alone
and I had absolutely no idea.
That breaks my heart.
On some days, you must've cried all alone.
And I bet there were days
when you couldn't sleep.
At times, you must've felt so alone,
thinking that you have no one to lean on.
It pains me to know
that you lived like that
for so long.
It's very nice here.
I've never slept in this room.
Shall we sleep here tonight?
Just tell me that I did the right thing.
The whole time, I wanted to hear that.
That I did the right thing.
I know you, Eun-ho.
You must've agonized over it
hundreds of times,
trying to figure out
what's best for Mr. Kang.
You did the right thing.
You certainly did.
Who is it?
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, dear Yeong-cheol
Happy birthday to you
Mr. Bong, what brings you here?
It's your birthday
so of course I should visit.
I wanted to come by earlier
and make seaweed soup for you,
but I had to visit my brother.
What's with that face?
You must be touched.
-I bet no other editor does this for you.
-Thank you.
-Did you have seaweed soup?
-Wait.
These are women's shoes...
Should I not have come...
These shoes look very familiar.
Yeong-cheol, who is it?
What are you doing?
Yeong-a.
Did you also stop by
to wish him a happy birthday?
When did you get here?
-Yesterday.
-What?
Yesterday?
What...
Why? What the hell? Yesterday?
What do you mean?
Yeong-a.
Do you think this makes sense?
What doesn't make sense to you?
I told you that I'm seeing someone.
What I'm thinking didn't happen, right?
Tell me that it didn't.
Yeong-a.
Did you sleep with him?
Did you really sleep with him?
Yes, I did.
Hey, how...
How could you say that?
Yeong-a, how could you do this to me?
It's only been a year
since he signed a contract with us.
How could you sleep with someone
you met through work--
What about us?
Did we meet randomly on the street
and end up getting married?
We met at work as well.
Our case is different!
What was so special about our case?
What was special about us?
Hey, we were special.
What was special? Special, my ass.
Hey, what we had was special.
How could you say that about us?
Yeong-a, wait!
Yeong-a, let's talk. Please? Don't leave.
Let go.
I said, let go.
My gosh.
Gosh, how scary.
Women can be so ruthless.
Once they turn their backs on you,
that's it.
AUTHOR CHRONOLOGY
Will you promise me
that you won't write my chronology?
And that you'll make sure I can die
as author Kang Byeong-jun,
not as a senile old man?
Please promise me, Eun-ho.
SONG HAE-RIN
Hey, Hae-rin.
You'll come here now?
Why?
There's a manuscript you should read.
Someone sent us a manuscript
titled The Heroes.
I skimmed through it just in case,
and I think you should take a look at it.
What's the title again?
The Heroes.
It's the last novel
Mr. Kang Byeong-jun said he'd write.
Someone sent us a manuscript of it.
This is the manuscript we received.
I made a copy of it for myself.
I looked up the address, and it's fake.
The phone number doesn't exist either.
As for the e-mail address,
I'm not sure whether it's real or not.
FROM PARK JUNG-HOON
So, you've read it?
Either Mr. Kang has come back,
or...
someone is copying Mr. Kang's style.
That's what I think.
I joined Gyeoroo because it's the firm
to which Mr. Kang transferred
his publication rights
after declaring his retirement.
I was curious.
But after joining Gyeoroo,
I realized how odd it is.
No one answered when I asked
who received Mr. Kang's declaration.
Even now, you're just sitting there
without saying anything.
You were
one of the first founding members.
Do you really not know
who received the declaration and contract
regarding Mr. Kang's publication rights?
I'll take a look at it.
You said it was sent to the office.
Has anyone else seen it?
Yes, Ji-yul saw it.
In fact, I got the manuscript from her.
Let's talk more at work
after I go over it.
Get home safely.
FROM PARK JUNG-HOON
148-23 ANYEONG-DONG, JONGNO-GU, SEOUL
Hello, Mr. Park Jung-hoon.
I'm Chief Editor Cha Eun-ho
from Gyeoroo Publishing.
I've read the manuscript you sent us,
and I have a few questions about
your novel, The Heroes.
I would love to speak with you
over the phone first,
but when I called the phone number
you sent, it said it doesn't exist.
Here's my number.
Call me
if you'd like to publish your novel.
SENDER: PARK JUNG-HOON
SUBJECT: THIS IS PARK JUNG-HOON
If you tried calling the number,
I'm sure you also know
that the address is fake as well.
Then I bet you've already figured out
that I wish to communicate
via e-mail only.
Please e-mail me back
if you'd like to publish the novel.
I'll give you one week.
I'm in a bit of a rush.
One week?
So, Eun-ho knows
that I'm not Mr. Kang.
Where is he? And what is he up to?
I'm sure Cha Eun-ho knows.
He's the one who holds the key.
APRIL 23
KANG BYEONG-JUN
Eun-ho!
Hey.
Have you read the manuscript?
I e-mailed the writer,
and he wrote me back.
I'll forward you his reply.
So, the e-mail address was real.
What if...
What if it's actually Mr. Kang?
Many authors change their writing styles
and publish their new work
under a pseudonym, you know.
Even Romain Gary published novels
under a pseudonym, Émile Ajar.
Well... I'll look into it further,
so don't tell anyone else about
the manuscript until we find out more.
All right, got it.
I'll let Ji-yul know as well.
Let's go.
Why did you give it to Mr. Cha?
Since it was sent from one of our readers,
shouldn't the editor who received it
be in charge of it?
Yes, that's how it should be.
But that manuscript--
Because it's
Mr. Kang Byeong-jun's manuscript?
You know that I'm working very hard
these days, right?
Are new employees not allowed to work
with famous writers like Mr. Kang?
Ji-yul.
Who sent that manuscript?
Park Jung-hoon.
Someone named Park Jung-hoon
sent it to us.
We need to vet it first.
Do you understand?
Let's have Mr. Cha handle it for now.
Be on the lookout for other manuscripts.
I'm sure you'll find a better one.
All right?
Yes, ma'am.
But I want to do it.
Yes, I'm sorry.
Mr. Nam isn't here right now.
I'm sorry.
I'll make sure you get paid soon.
I'm sorry.
Wasn't that the fifth call today
saying they didn't get paid?
Dan-i.
Yes, sir.
Dan-i, we took a look
at the marketing proposal
-you gave us.
-Yes?
It was great and ingenious.
But it looked a little pricey.
Aren't there a lot of marketing strategies
that are free?
For example, we could use virality.
Okay, then. I'll change it to
a low-budget marketing proposal.
I read the manuscript you'll be publishing
on the first half of this year.
Isn't it great?
Don't you think it's going
to be a best seller?
I was thinking...
you should reconsider the publication.
Why?
Is it not good?
Well...
There was nothing unique
about this writer.
Some of his writings even overlap with
other novels that are on the internet.
And it's not much different to the books
that already been published.
Dan-i, if novels are short and light,
does that mean they're low quality novels?
The answer is no.
There's a reason
why novels like those sell so well.
It's just the trend.
The readers are comforted by
short and light novels.
Okay.
I need to endure this.
Let's hang in there.
EUN-HO
How about you do some part-time work
as Cha Eun-ho's assistant?
Let's go to the library
and have dinner afterward.
Sure, I'd love that.
Here it is.
Here.
I want you to summarize
how parents can affect their children
starting from their early infancy
until they turn six years old.
-Okay.
-Okay?
Okay, Mr. Cha.
Focus on your book.
Dan-i.
I saw Mr. Na's poetry collection
in your bag earlier.
Yes, I really like it.
So I carry it around with me
and read it over and over again.
Out of all the poems,
Because of You is my favorite one.
"Because of you, I do not sway
until the very end
regardless of how windy it gets."
"Although this world is
full of frowns and grimaces,
because of you, I've become someone
who can smile even when I'm on my own."
"Thank you. I am happy
for I could stay strong
even during the most difficult days."
Why are you looking at me like that?
If you keep looking at me like that,
I'll kiss you in the middle of the street.
-I'd just do it if I were you.
-Dan-i.
Dan-i, okay.
I'll just do it this time.
-Give me one more chance.
-No.
-It's too late.
-Come on. Let me try again.
-No, thank you.
-Come here.
-You can't do it.
-Yes, I can.
I could've done a really good job on
The Heroes.
I mean, no one knows yet.
How can they be sure it's
Mr. Kang Byeong-jun's work?
Right.
What are you doing?
You're not listening to me.
GYU-SEOK
HYE-IN
SEND A MESSAGE
That's a girl.
This is fun.
It connects you with various people
who live nearby.
Does that mean
it just connected you with this girl?
Yes.
I'd like to meet her.
I should get off here.
Hey, we still have one more stop to go.
-You can go.
-Are you on your way to meet her?
Yes.
Thank you, sir.
What should I do?
I should've gotten off.
He's meeting a girl.
Sir, can I get off right now?
I really need to get off, sir.
It's not like I took a train.
Why is the next stop so far away?
Gosh.
Wait for me, Hoon!
-Goodness.
-Are you okay?
Something doesn't feel right.
I have a really accurate hunch.
And my sensitive heart is
feeling really anxious right now.
-I'll come back after I calm down a bit.
-Okay, sure.
I'll be fine.
Goodness, excuse me.
But I have something to tell you
about the guy who was just sitting here.
I'm his roommate.
What? So?
What do you mean "So?"
Don't you know what a roommate is?
It means I'm living with the guy
that was sitting here.
Shouldn't you feel
at least a little bit guilty?
Excuse me.
Keep in mind
that he's living with me right now.
The toilet is clogged.
This is a serious situation.
People are waiting in line.
Can you please unclog it
as soon as possible?
Please.
I'm sorry.
I'd love to study with people
who are working in the same field.
When can I join the study group?
I don't think you can join.
Why not? I'm a passionate
and ambitious marketer.
Your roommate is way too scary.
She just came here and threw a fit.
Ji-yul was here?
Why?
Why was she here? Hey, wait.
Why did you do that, Ji-yul?
Ji-yul, why did you do that?
Why did you go there?
Don't tell me you like Hoon.
No way.
I don't like Hoon.
Ji-yul!
What's your problem? I heard you came to
the cafe and threw a fit.
What's going on?
Why is my heart beating so fast?
No, it can't be.
Why did you do that?
Do you know how hard it was
to find a marketer who lives nearby?
A marketer?
That's why you met her?
Oh, I get it now.
You wanted to meet a marketer.
You must've wanted to meet someone
who works in the same field.
I guess I was mistaken.
You're scaring me. Stop it.
This is so weird. Why does it feel like
I've read this before?
I wonder why I feel this way.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN 7 DAYS
There's just one more week left.
You also entered the contest?
Of course.
I'm also an employee here.
That means
the founding members
are busy evaluating our work right now.
Let's see.
Gosh, you startled me.
I don't accept any bribes.
I'm a fair person.
Mr. Kim.
Did you find anything good?
If you're talking about the contest,
we agreed to evaluate it separately.
I saw something interesting about...
Don't tell me.
It will affect my evaluation.
We need to be fair when we evaluate.
I was just talking to myself.
Bye.
Hello?
Excuse me.
PUBLICATION PROPOSAL
-Just a second.
-Gosh, it's mine.
It's mine.
I'm going to win the prize money.
The winner's going to be me.
Yes, thank you.
No problem.
NUMBER: 54
It's mine.
It's going to be me.
Did you really sleep with Yeong-cheol?
-Yes.
-No, you're lying.
You just went there
because he works with us,
and it happened to be his birthday.
Think whatever you want.
What are you...
Hey, tell me it's not true.
I realized this time around
that I need three men.
A funny guy, a rich guy,
-and a guy who's good.
-What?
Good at what?
What...
There's no way. She's just bluffing.
She's just...
I'm going to kill Yeong-cheol.
PART-TIME MENTORING
MEETING A TRUE MENTOR
This is nice.
MARKETABILITY, CREATIVITY
OUTSTANDING
MEETING A TRUE MENTOR
COULD THIS BE DAN-I'S PROPOSAL?
My gosh.
You can't see it.
I just came to give you this.
You don't work here anymore.
I seriously just came to give you this.
Drink some while working.
-With no strings attached?
-Of course.
Goodness, really?
Go over there.
Don't come here, okay?
You'd better not come here.
This one stands out the most.
It has a clear concept,
and I like that it's trendy
and marketable.
I agree.
I like the idea of approaching our readers
as adults and mentors.
The best thing about this proposal is
that it has a long-term business value.
I like that it's going to be a paperback,
and I like how the book
is going to be organized.
It was the most realistic proposal
that coincides with the industry of today.
So everyone likes it. I do too.
It can be published
in the form of a series.
Whoever suggested it
has a long-term perspective.
-Then it's a unanimous decision, right?
-Right.
Then let's see who suggested this.
Gosh, this is nerve-wracking.
Once we type in the number,
we'll see who the winner is.
I wonder who it is.
I'll let you know in a second.
Who knows? It could be Ji-yul.
-That's right.
-I doubt it.
I'm not kidding. She's been working hard.
All right.
I'll now press "enter."
-Is it Ji-yul?
-Really?
What?
-What's wrong?
-Who is it?
-Is it Ji-yul?
-I'm going to get a cup of coffee.
Why?
-What's wrong?
-Who is it?
Who won?
-No way.
-Unbelievable.
CONGRATULATIONS! NUMBER 56,
TASK SUPPORT TEAM, KANG DAN-I
It was Dan-i's?
But she no longer works here.
Should we choose someone else then?
It's not like we can rehire her.
What do we do?
-Maybe I should check again.
-What's the point?
I knew she'd go out with a bang.
That's my Dan-i.
Jeez.
What's wrong with the translation?
It's as if a number of people
each translated a different section.
The tone is not consistent.
SHE'S NOT AN ANGEL
SHE'S NOT AN ANGEL
What is this?
I AM SATISFIED
I AM SATISFIED
It's the same.
No way.
Even the errors are the same.
So this translator
copy and pasted sections from
books that have already been translated?
The translator must be insane.
THE SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER
-Sir, you're back.
-That I am.
Sir.
I don't think we can publish
this manuscript.
-There is a problem with the translation.
-What do you mean?
What problem are you talking about?
I'm sorry to say this,
but it's a mixture of translations
from different books.
See? Even the mistakes are the same.
-Dan-i.
-Yes, sir.
I'll contact the translator myself.
Don't make a big deal out of it.
Did you...
know about this?
I've already paid the translator
and we've settled on a book design.
It's hard to start over.
Then what about the people
who worked hard to make those books?
What about the translators
that actually did the work?
Dan-i.
Why don't you go back to your work
instead of arguing with me here?
Ji-yul, Isn't the result supposed
to come out today?
That's right. Isn't the competition winner
being announced today?
Why haven't we heard anything yet?
Caffeine. I need coffee.
What is it? What do you want?
-Sorry?
-Look away.
-What?
-Get back to work.
Sure.
Is that fun?
This was the problem.
Why did we write this on the announcement?
"Anyone of Gyeoroo Publishing
can enter the contest."
Anyone.
Anyone?
If only we had corrected this...
This includes contract employees too.
Mr. Cha!
Mr. Cha just left for his lecture.
Damn it.
What are we going to do?
It's almost time to make the announcement.
I'm talking about Dan-i.
We need to be fair.
It was an anonymous contest.
But how on earth can we be fair now?
Doesn't our company
have a special recruitment policy?
A special recruitment?
Wait. Can we do that?
Why are you asking me?
It's in the regulations.
-What's going on?
-I don't know.
This is unbelievable.
THE SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER
JOYS AND SORROWS OF WORK
Let's just print 7,000 copies.
Who'd buy 7,000 copies of a book
by a no-name rookie author?
Why did you make a book that won't sell
to begin with?
We're having this meeting now
to figure out a way to make it sell.
Then 5,000 it is.
Let's start with 5,000 copies.
Since it's his debut novel,
we'll do a good job with marketing...
That must be Ms. Yu's manuscript.
Where? Where is it?
I can smell it.
It is the smell of a best seller.
I don't want to stick stickers
on those books either.
But
I can't let 5,000 copies get shredded
into little pieces of paper.
Everyone, we just got additional orders
for two books.
That one's mine.
I did it. I edited that book.
What did I tell you?
I told you it'd do well.
Are you kidding? That's because
the marketing strategy was nice.
This is wrong.
LETTER OF RESIGNATION
A letter of resignation?
Dan-i, what--
This is an act of robbery.
Copying and pasting
other people's translations?
What does that mean
for the editors of those books?
What does it mean for the marketers
who worked hard to sell those books?
You're stealing their hard work
and readers will buy this book
without knowing anything.
Still, you can't resign--
I can't work here anymore.
I feel bad for the papers and trees.
I'm too embarrassed to face
other publishers and editors.
That's why I can't work here anymore.
Dan-i...
I'm unemployed again.
I seriously need to learn
how to control my temper.
You idiot.
Mr. Kim, how--
Are you Ms. Kang Dan-i?
Yes.
I'm President Kim Jae-min
of Gyeoroo Publishing.
I'm here
to offer you a job.
You will receive a raise of 150 percent.
But why...
I've been doing well
at this publishing company though.
Well, is that so?
Then how about 200 percent?
I'm going to be a founding member.
It's a small company,
so building it together is fun--
You'll be in the Marketing Team,
not the Task Support Team.
You'll be scouted
based on our special recruitment policy.
Really?
I just lost my appetite.
Are you saying that it's over
between you and that tall girl?
You bored her, didn't you?
Young ladies these days
like men with a sense of humor.
Stop teasing me.
I already feel bad about it.
If she left, then
you should just let her go.
Is that why you had me
without letting him know?
It was for the best, wasn't it?
I was given a sweet boy like you.
Don't you miss him?
I do want to see him once more,
but life doesn't turn out the way
you want it to.
Kim Hyeon.
CHARACTER CHART FOR THE HEROES
Ahn Yeong-ju.
Park Seong-hun.
Aren't you heading home?
I still have something to check.
If you haven't had dinner,
why don't we order something?
Ms. Go is still here too.
It's all right.
I'm cleaning up and heading home.
Sure.
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
LEE JEONG-SEOP
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
LEE JEONG-SEOP
Answer me.
Did you send out the notice or not?
I did.
I asked Dan-i to do it.
Remember? I asked you
to send the report regarding
the contract termination to Sales Support.
I never received such a report--
I asked you to take care of it
before Ms. Yu's book reading event.
I have no choice.
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
Go in faster.
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
What's happening? What am I going to do?
Song-i, you know that...
Yes?
What is it? Has the shredder broken down?
Why...
CONTRACT TERMINATION AGREEMENT
LEE JEONG-SEOP
Chae Song-i.
Does this mean
it was your mistake, not Dan-i's?
Did you blame the contract worker
for your mistake?
No, that's not true. I didn't.
I just forgot about it.
Did you think it would be over
if you just got rid of the contract?
What is going on, Ms. Go?
Make sure she writes a report about this.
It was Song-i who made the mistake
about Lee Jeong-seop's
contract termination.
I really thought I asked her to send it.
But it all worked out in the end.
I heard that Mr. Kim rehired her.
I'm sorry.
APPROVAL REQUEST FOR NEW ORDERS
This garbage!
I'll get this out of your sight.
-Let go.
-I'll throw it away.
-Will you just let go?
-I'll throw it away for you.
APPROVAL REQUEST FOR NEW ORDERS
THE HEROES
YEONG-JU RAN INTO THE YARD WITH THE BOOK
"Yeong-ju ran into the yard with the book.
Hyeon ran after her.
Yeong-ju and Hyeon's bright laughter
filled their small yard."
What's the title...
It was Ji Seo-jun.
It's Ji Seo-jun.
Why the hell did he do this?
No, I should call Eun-ho first.
SONG HAE-RIN
So when are you coming back to work?
I start tomorrow.
You should rest for a few days.
I want to start working right away.
I miss everyone too.
Tomorrow is Friday.
Do you want to go on a trip after work?
I'm sorry, but I'm going to
Kapyong to visit Mr. Kang tomorrow.
Let's go next week.
-Think of a place you want to go.
-Okay.
I couldn't stop thinking about that.
What?
The diary said his son visited him.
He wrote something else in his diary.
That he considers me his son.
No.
He thought you were his son
because he couldn't remember his son.
I did find that weird.
I didn't visit Mr. Kang that day,
but he kept mixing up the dates. Sometimes
he even forgot to write the dates.
Who is it at this hour?
It's Ms. Song. What should I do?
It's fine.
Hae-rin knows that we live together.
Eun-ho, why didn't you answer your phone?
-My phone? Where did I put it?
-Open up. it's urgent.
Okay.
What should I do? I should be in my room.
No, that's okay. Stay here.
Stay here.
Eun-ho, the manuscript for The Heroes...
It's been a while, Ms. Song.
Dan-i, have you been well?
I heard that
you will be coming back to work.
Congratulations.
Sit down first. We'll talk then.
Why didn't you answer your phone?
Do you know how many times I called you?
I don't know. Where did my phone go?
-I'll go look for it.
-Okay.
Eun-ho, it was Ji Seo-jun.
The writer who wrote The Heroes.
It was Ji Seo-jun.
It's definitely the same sentence
from the shredded paper I saw that day.
He majored in Korean Literature.
That's all right. Sit down.
It's about work.
It was on vibrate, so I couldn't hear it.
I didn't tell you because you might worry.
Someone sent our company a manuscript.
The title is The Heroes.
You just thought
of Mr. Kang Byeong-jun, right?
But the name of the writer
was Park Jung-hoon.
Something seemed off,
so we were keeping it between ourselves.
I've just found out
that it was Seo-jun
who wrote the manuscript.
DATE OF BIRTH: 04.23.91
"April 23."
Pardon?
That's Seo-jun's birthday.
It was on his contract.
-What's the passcode?
-It's 0423.
-It's 0423?
-Yes.
Okay. 0423.
BLUE NIGHT
APRIL 23
BLUE NIGHT
APRIL 23
November 20, 2008.
My son visited me.
He's the son.
He's Mr. Kang's son.
What do you mean?
I think Seo-jun
is Mr. Kang's son.
Wait...
Mr. Kang lived alone all his life,
didn't he?
There's something
you're not telling me, right?
Shouldn't I know?
THE HEROES
FROM PARK JUNG-HOON
CHA EUN-HO
Mr. Ji, this is Cha Eun-ho.
Let's meet tomorrow afternoon.
Please help my mom. That's all I ask.
Please help her,
sir.
I didn't think
you would like places like this.
I was in high school
when I first came here.
Back then,
I only had green onion pancakes.
Mr. Kang really liked this bar.
I thought you'd like this one as well.
You're Mr. Kang Byeong-jun's fan.
Are you telling me that
Mr. Kang wrote this novel?
People who don't know him well
might think that he did,
but I beg to differ.
How can you be so sure?
No one would write a full-length novel
just because they're his fan,
Mr. Park Jung-hoon.
Shall I let you in on a secret?
The secret behind the title
of Mr. Kang's last novel, April 23.
A FAIR PART OF THIS UNFAIR WORLD
IS EVERYONE LIVES ONCE
WHAT KIND OF LIFE IT'LL BE
DEPENDS ON YOU
KEEPING A PROMISE IS RARE LIKE A STAR
IN DARKNESS THAT IS MEANT TO SHINE
SHE CRIED FOR ME
AND I WIPED AWAY HER TEARS
THAT WAS ENOUGH TO COMFORT ME
I THOUGHT HAPPY ENDINGS WERE LAME,
BUT I KNOW WE MUST TRY HARD TO GET IT
WE'RE SMALL, BUT WE CAN GO ANYWHERE
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING IF YOU WANT IT ENOUGH
PASSION SPREADS
LIKE THE WARMTH OF A FIRE SPREADS
IT BECOMES COMFORT, HOPE, AND HAPPINESS
I DECIDED NOT TO REGRET LEAVING HIM ALONE
INSTEAD, I DECIDED TO LOVE HIM MORE DEEPLY
Everything you want to know is
inside this shopping bag.
Take a look.
I'm right here, Seo-jun.
I want to be here for you.
What? I came
because I was worried about him.
Congratulations!
-Look at me.
-Goodness, Dan-i is so lucky,
to have such a warmhearted boyfriend.
April 23.
That question was what tortured me
the most for the past ten years.
APRIL 23
MY SON VISITED ME
"I've never forgotten you.
I remember you."