A Virtuous Business (2024) s01e12 Episode Script

1
A VIRTUOUS BUSINESS
Where should I begin?
I…
loved the son of the servant
who grew up with me since childhood.
Becoming pregnant with you
turned the family upside down,
and he took off in the end.
I left the house in order to protect you.
It was my first time experiencing poverty,
but it was also my first time
experiencing happiness.
What?
Did the briquette go out?
Mommy will go and get briquettes.
Baby!
He needs a surgery.
Please help me with the medical bills.
Father…
Send him off well.
Make sure no one sees you.
Yes, sir.
They promised to pay
for your medical treatments
and send you to a family friend
if I gave you up.
In the end,
it was my decision.
The reality I'd face upon opening the door
scared me.
I'll go and take care of Min-ho.
Okay.
Are you okay?
Is this…
What are you doing here?
There's something I want to say.
I feel like…
I didn't get to say
what I really wanted to tell you.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
It's all Mommy's fault.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry.
Ms. Han Jeong-suk.
I went to yours, but you weren't home.
Did you have a good talk?
-Did the newspaper arrive?
-Yes, it's here.
-Here. Taste it.
-Okay.
Gosh, it tastes amazing.
Really?
You know, about Do-hyeon…
Tell him to come by often.
He should start eating
his mom's tasty dishes.
Okay.
I'll tell him so.
Good morning.
-Hello.
-Good morning, Ju-ri.
Geum-hui, you look so cheerful today.
Did something good happen?
Yes.
I found my son.
It's Detective Kim Do-hyeon.
Detective Kim Do-hyeon is your son?
Goodness gracious.
So…
it is not part of Drama Game
but your story, right?
Stop asking.
I asked her five or six times
back home too.
My goodness, Ms. Oh.
All these years, you couldn't tell anyone.
It must've been so hard on you.
I'm so glad that you found your son.
Thank you.
I was worried that you'd judge me.
Why would we judge you?
As you know, I'm a single mom.
And my husband is an ex-con.
I got divorced
because my husband had an affair.
My life is full of drama,
to say the least.
That's right. We… How should I put it?
That's right.
We've shared our wounds with each other.
So, we'll be closer friends from now on.
How do you feel?
It doesn't feel real yet.
I bet it doesn't.
But you'll slowly realize
that you actually found your son.
-Right?
-Yes.
My goodness, how great.
-Detective.
-Hello.
It's your son.
He must've come to walk you home.
Hi.
Hello.
Come on, nobody bows
so politely to his mom.
You guys should welcome each other
more affectionately.
That's right. You should go,
"Hey, you're here!"
Then he'd go, "Yes, Mother."
Hurry up and do it.
Hey, you're here!
Yes, M…
M…
Shall we go?
Gosh, it's late. Let's hurry up and go.
-We'll get going.
-Bye.
Is there anything you want to eat?
Why don't the three of us get dinner?
Dinner?
I'll eat at home today.
But it'd be nice to eat together.
No, my husband will be home soon.
The two of you should enjoy your date.
See you tomorrow.
What? You're home early.
Why didn't you have dinner with Do-hyeon?
It'd have brought you guys closer.
I'm taking it slow.
I'll have plenty of chances
to eat with him.
You're right. Let's go inside.
That's so cute.
Why?
-All the photos look amazing.
-Really?
I want to frame all of them.
It's because the model is beautiful.
It's because the photographer is talented.
CHARMING HAIR SALON
FOR LEASE
I didn't know she'd lease it right away.
You must be very upset.
No.
I checked out a unit in Oksan. It's okay.
I'll use this opportunity
to take over Oksan.
You walk me home every day,
but get going first today.
It's okay. I'll walk you home.
Come on. It's late.
You have a hard time
waking up in the morning.
What if you're late to work?
If you keep insisting, I'll walk you home.
What? Okay.
Get home safely.
-Get home safely.
-Okay.
Bye.
-Go first.
-You go first.
You go first.
-Go on.
-Get home.
-Get home safely.
-You too.
That's right. One hotteok is Dae-geun's.
WONBONG PHARMACY
What?
It weighs on your mind, right?
What?
It looks like you're thinking about it.
Right.
To be honest,
I wanted to have dinner with her.
But I worried that it might pressure her.
Did we look awkward in your eyes as well?
Yes.
But…
it's natural to be awkward.
You two have been apart for 30 years.
I think it will come with time.
Right?
Yes.
Thankfully, the two of you have
enough time to become close.
You don't have much time.
It's next week.
You'll be transferred
to the Cold Cases Team.
It's so sudden.
There's a case
that involves a missing child,
so they asked for you specifically.
It must be because you solved
the serial kidnapping case.
I thought that it was unfortunate
that you'd have to move to Seoul
right after finding your mother,
but I also remembered
that solving the previous case got you
interested in missing children cases.
Yes. You're right, but…
Think about it.
Since the case also involves
international adoption,
they really need someone
who can speak English.
I'm sorry.
I had a stomachache this morning.
It took me a while, right?
It must stink in there.
It's okay.
There's something I want to ask.
What?
It has been a few days.
Although Dae-geun doesn't look it,
he has lived his entire life as the son
of a rich family, so it must be hard.
Ms. Heo asked me to kick him out
of the pharmacy as well,
but I'm stalling time.
My goodness.
My goodness.
It looks tasty.
I'm not exactly happy to see your face.
You'll be happy to hear
what I have to say.
What is it?
Did you decide to break up with him?
Yes.
I'll end the relationship.
Really? Do you mean it?
Now we're talking.
You made the right decision.
But there's a condition.
A condition? Do you mean another one
on top of giving you back the hair salon?
Yes.
Ju-ri.
I was going to give it to you tomorrow.
But I can give it to you today.
It's a present.
It would've been better
if I had used a tripod.
-Next time, I--
-No.
There'll be no next time.
I came here to break up with you.
What?
Let's break up.
What are you talking about?
You're joking, right?
Why would we break up?
Wait, is this because of your hair salon?
I know that it's hard,
but if we hold out--
Then what?
What if Ms. Heo doesn't budge?
What can you do then?
I'm sure you understand.
Ju-ri.
I know that I'm incompetent and lacking.
I know that it's selfish of me
to ask you to stay.
But I can't live without you.
Please don't do this, Ju-ri.
Ju-ri.
So 21 vibrators. How about thongs?
We have 15 pink ones, 16 black ones,
and seven pearl-encrusted ones.
We have seven boxes of condoms.
By the way, is something up with Ju-ri?
She said there was an important matter
and promised to tell us later.
I see.
Please hold on.
Hello, this is Fantasy Lingerie.
Do-hyeon.
I see.
Okay.
You have a date, right?
We'll wrap up here, so you can go ahead.
Do-hyeon has something
to say to you and me.
He wants to dine with us at home.
-Me too?
-Yes.
My goodness, you're the one
who should get off work early.
Gosh, had I known…
Don't I look too shabby?
You look beautiful.
-Ms. Oh, you're always beautiful.
-Oh, no.
My heart is fluttering.
She must be so happy.
So once you decide,
you'd need to leave next month?
Yes.
So I wanted to discuss it
with the two of you.
It'll take at least two years,
or it could be longer.
What do you think?
What?
You don't have to ask for my permission.
You should do what you want.
Jeong-suk, what do you think?
What do I think?
I think this is wrong.
Pardon?
Of course, you should go.
It's meaningful work.
But the two of you shouldn't part
when you're still so awkward.
Let's do a project in this week.
A project?
Yes. "Get Close Quickly Project."
PROTECTING GEUMJE LIVES
AND SAFETY
Wait.
Hello.
It's packed lunch.
I see. Thank you.
Make sure you eat slowly, okay?
Chapter One.
The highlight of the school days.
Eating Mom's packed lunch.
Here.
It's an umbrella.
Why is it raining so suddenly?
It's raining.
Chapter Two.
Mom coming to pick you up on a rainy day.
Chapter Three.
Having a drink with Mom.
Let me pour you a drink.
-Cheers.
-Okay.
Jeong-suk,
aren't you going to have a glass?
I'm the server today.
I'll bring more liquor.
I'll do it.
I won't eat it. No.
-Why not?
-What's wrong?
I don't want to.
He's refusing to eat
the carrots in the whelk dish.
I told him to eat it for his health,
but he said no.
What is he, a child?
You picked out the crown daisy
when we had the fish cake soup.
The crown daisy is only a decoration
in the fish cake soup.
I think carrots are a decoration
in all dishes.
Nonsense!
I eat this dish because of the carrots.
I eat this dish
because of the crown daisy.
Goodness, he has to have
the last word, doesn't he?
I got permission to sleep outside,
but it feels very strange.
Same here.
When I first started working
at your place,
I never imagined
that we'd become so close.
That's right.
Life is full of surprises.
I was a bit difficult
when you first met me, right?
No. It wasn't just a bit.
You were very difficult.
What? Geez.
You also changed a lot.
At first, you were like, "Gosh, no."
You were so coy.
Now, you know how to be jokey.
I guess I've become
very comfortable around you.
Right.
What's the next item for our project?
It's over.
-What?
-I saw you argue with Do-hyeon
and realized the two of you
became close enough.
Now, you can spend time together
without forcing things.
You think so?
Yes.
So, I'll focus on work starting tomorrow.
Okay.
By the way, Yeong-bok said
she'd be a bit late tomorrow.
That's right.
Tomorrow is the day, right?
Eun-ji, you aren't whining at all today.
Are you aware
that your dad is coming home today?
Are you?
Yeong-bok.
Does it hurt?
Kick this side too.
Hold on a second.
Forget it. You need to walk home.
Eat this.
Don't have any funny thoughts from now on.
Your first goal is to repay
Ms. Oh's family for their kindness.
Of course.
Your second goal
is to assist me with all your heart.
Like the fortune teller said,
I'll restore the family fortunes.
Okay.
I'll do my best
so you don't have to worry about
the household chores or the kids.
Hand Eun-ji over to me and get going.
-Here.
-Forget it.
You got discharged today.
Aren't you tired?
I don't have the right to be tired.
Eun-ji, come to Dad.
Come to Dad. Come here.
-All right then.
-Come here.
Slowly. Is she sleeping? All right.
-Gosh, my baby.
-All right.
Do it slowly.
You need to take this off first.
-She can't breathe.
-There you go.
We're almost sold out.
We should restock the condoms
and slip dresses.
Okay. I'll talk to the director.
We'll be rich at this rate.
Ju-ri, are you really okay?
You seem too fine for someone
who's going through a breakup.
We didn't date for very long.
I'm too busy to dwell on it.
It's the best camera
for photography students.
Practice taking photos with it
and go back to school next semester.
Okay?
Dae-geun.
Are you listening to me?
What? Okay.
I'm letting you study what you want.
Why are you so down
like wet clothes in the rain?
What's wrong? Aren't you happy?
I'm happy.
Thank you, Mom.
I thought he'd be okay after a few days.
How long will he be like that?
Was it the love of the century?
But there's a condition.
What is it?
Let Dae-geun
go back to studying photography.
What?
So letting Dae-geun study photography
is your condition
for breaking up?
Have you ever seen him take photos?
His eyes sparkle when he does it.
He'll definitely become successful.
Gosh, I'm dead.
Are you dead?
Hello, Ms. Landlord.
Your mom will scold you
if you play the game like that.
My mom lets me do
whatever I want to do most of the times.
My goodness, how kind of your mom.
I don't let my children do something
if I don't think it's right.
I'm iron-willed like that.
Still, there's no parent
who can win against the child.
The one who loves the other one more
is bound to be weaker.
My goodness.
WONBONG PHARMACY
Ju-ri!
Ju-ri!
Ju-ri!
It's yulmu tea.
I don't know if I can drink it
because I ate too much.
I'm glad you liked the food.
You're leaving tomorrow,
so I wanted to make you a delicious meal.
I'm beginning to feel disappointed.
What?
I'm leaving,
but you seem unbothered.
I'm sad about each passing day.
I've never felt so happy
and stable in my life.
Same here.
But I want to be positive.
I decided to use this opportunity
to focus more on work,
so it isn't so upsetting.
It's a lie.
What?
Mom cried yesterday too.
Mom, is Mister really leaving?
Yes.
So we're going to say goodbye tomorrow.
Make sure you don't cry.
Why?
He's leaving for important business.
If we cry,
his heart will ache.
Even if you're disappointed and sad,
hold back your tears, okay?
Mom, are you crying?
No, I'm not crying.
Oh, I didn't cry.
I had something in my eyes.
Mister, here.
What's this?
It's my farewell gift.
A gift?
Gonggi and ddakji.
Those are your most favorite items.
Once you move to Seoul,
you won't have me or Mom.
You'll be bored.
Right.
Thank you.
Can I give you a hug?
You can call me if you're bored.
Okay.
Come on. Give me a hug as well.
We have a lot of time.
Today is your day.
Thank you, Min-ho.
Once the investigation begins,
I'll be busy
and might be unreachable.
It's okay.
Our brochures led to more orders.
I'll become very busy too.
Let's both live diligently…
and reunite as our cooler selves.
Okay.
I'll get going now.
Okay.
Drive safely.
Don't skip meals even if you're busy.
Okay.
Thank you.
See you later…
Mother.
Okay.
I'll be waiting.
Okay.
The payroll!
How did this thief know
that today was payday?
Lately, there's been a burglar
on the loose in a neighboring town.
Could it be the same person?
-I don't think a thief did this.
-Then who?
The door was left intact.
This lock too.
Most thieves cut the locks off.
Does anyone else know the combination?
Only we and Director Shin know it.
-Director Shin.
-The director is coming today, right?
She said that she'd set off
from the countryside in the afternoon.
Shouldn't we call
the CEO's store in Seoul?
She should know about this.
-I'll make the call.
-Okay.
What is it?
The number is out of service.
-No way.
-What does that mean?
What does that mean? What should we do?
Detective, what should we do?
Out of service?
All of us will starve to death!
Please calm down.
So there was a store in Seoul,
but it went out of business?
Yes.
It happened a year ago.
It went out of business
within a few months.
They must be professional swindlers.
That means the CEO was in on this scam.
But I don't understand.
If money was the purpose,
why did they come to the countryside?
A big city would've made more sense.
I know, right?
They paid us regularly all this time.
Why did they only steal
the last paychecks?
Still, the total must be a lot
if we combine our paychecks.
The biggest problem is
that there are no products to sell.
Jeong-suk.
I'm really sorry, but…
may I head home first?
Okay. Go ahead.
Sure, get going.
The past few days must've been rough.
Jeong-suk's completely dazed.
It's understandable.
She was the most passionate
about this business.
I've never seen Jeong-suk like that.
Same here.
I can't believe it.
BRANCH MANAGER, HAN JEONG-SUK
Hello.
A dildo, right?
We're currently out of stock.
Then when can I buy it?
Well…
Well…
I don't know
when we will be able to sell it again!
I'm sorry.
What the heck?
Why are you doing this to me?
What did I do so wrong?
Why did you backstab me? Why?
Hello.
It's me, Jeong-suk.
Aren't you coming to work?
-What?
-All of us are waiting.
Hurry up and come.
Oh, hey.
Jeong-suk.
-My goodness.
-Hello.
I thought the office
needed to be organized
for us to come up with a plan.
I took care of the monthly rent
for the office.
Ms. Oh.
I met up with Detective Na
yesterday and whined.
He'll work harder that way.
I made the facial composites
of the CEO and Director yesterday.
I'll make copies and distribute them.
That's right.
Yeong-bok is good at drawing.
I can draw well.
Let's see them.
Here.
This one is the director.
And this is the CEO.
What do you think?
We'll catch them in no time, right?
I'm not so sure about that.
What? Why are you laughing?
Why? They look spot-on.
I'm sorry.
You're all making an effort,
but I behaved like a child.
Don't say that.
You picked us up
and kept us going whenever we fell.
You fell after charging forward
as if your life depended on it.
This time, we'll pick you up.
That's right. Don't cry.
-What? Please hold on.
-Okay.
Hello?
This is Detective Na
of Geumje Police Station.
Yes, Detective Na.
I think CEO Kim Mi-ran
might get caught soon.
Really?
I called my colleague
at Incheon Police Station.
They received a tip about seeing
Kim Mi-ran in a motel alley.
They'll contact me when they catch her,
so please wait a bit longer.
I'm putting a lot of care into this case.
Okay. Thank you.
Will they get caught soon?
I think so.
I need to go.
There are many motels in Incheon.
What will you do there?
Still, I can't sit and wait.
I must know exactly what happened.
I'll be the one…
to wrap things up.
ONE WEEK LATER
Thank you.
It's been a while, CEO Kim.
GOLD MOTEL
Say something.
How much of it was true?
Was any of what you said the truth?
I bet you feel like
it was a scam from the start.
But that isn't true.
I was certain about this business.
That was why I invested the money
I saved up all my life as a saleswoman
and opened a store.
At first, people came out of curiosity,
and the sales were good, but…
I don't know when it began,
but people began to write complaints
about it being indecent.
They kept protesting and called it
a menace to society.
In the end, people stopped coming.
I held out as much as I could,
but I had to close the business
after six months.
I wanted to die.
But I just couldn't end things like that.
That was why I went to a place
where no one knew me.
It's too hard to pull.
-Wait!
-What?
There won't be a crackdown here, right?
Of course not. The locals won't know
what happened in Seoul.
No one knows us, so this place is perfect.
Let's hurry up and go.
Push. Come on.
Come on.
And that place was Geumje?
Yes.
Director Shin took over the internal tasks
such as educating the employees.
During that time, I sold my car
and used the money to get the products.
You and the others did better
than I expected.
I thought…
I thought that we'd
get back up on our feet.
Then what?
The person who brought
the products from abroad got arrested.
Someone must've made a report.
I'm on the run because the police
want me for questioning.
Then what should we do now?
I don't know either!
Damn it!
By the way, shouldn't the world
give an answer to that question?
What?
A desire isn't something
to be embarrassed about.
What's embarrassing is expressing
that desire in a dark and twisted way.
That's why I want to let it
be expressed more openly.
Why do people keep stopping me?
There's no law for regulations,
so they're using the pharmaceutical
and duty affairs to accuse us.
Ms. Kim Mi-ran, this is the police.
Geez!
What? But…
Ms. Kim Mi-ran, this is the police.
If you believe
that this is the right path,
don't give up and find another way.
I'll do the same.
If you don't open up in ten seconds,
we'll break down the door.
Persevere. Let's meet again.
Are you really going to…
Where did she go this time?
She's running toward the intersection.
-Go and catch her.
-Yes, sir.
By the way, who are you?
Well…
If you believe
that this is the right path,
don't give up and find another way.
How was it?
Did it bring you to a fantastic world?
Yes.
We keep telling people to be honest,
but we should be honest first.
What's the desire in your heart?
I'm confident about this business now.
GEUMJE ELECTRONICS
Another candidate for first place,
"I Know" by Seo Taiji and Boys.
I think it'll still be a hit.
People who persevere
even after going through the pain
that could destroy them
tend to be successful in the end.
That's who he seems to be.
Seo Taiji and Boys wins
two weeks in a row with "I Know."
Congratulations!
Mr. Seo, take the trophy.
It's a happy ending.
Congratulations.
Please tell us how you feel.
I'm over the moon.
There are a lot of people
who keep breaking the mold.
Yes. And what matters to them are
strength, bravery, and hope.
Have a meaningful week
chasing your dreams and goals.
We will wrap up today's Inkigayo
with Seo Taiji and Boys' "I Know."
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
4 YEARS LATER
Look at those balloons!
-Balloons?
-Yes, buy me balloons.
Don't be absurd.
JEONG-SUK HAN SALES
-Welcome.
-Welcome.
Congratulations.
-It's all thanks to President Han.
-You're too kind.
What are those balloons?
I thought about bringing flowers
but decided on something more meaningful.
Like a balloon,
I hope the business will grow
and take off.
Gosh, that's so thoughtful and romantic.
It isn't a romantic gesture for you.
Read the room. We'll be outside.
I'll leave you to it.
We'll prepare for the event outside.
Okay.
GRAND OPENING!
JEONG-SUK HAN SALES
Thank you.
You did it in the end.
I said we should reunite
as our cooler selves.
I finally kept that promise.
Do you need my help with anything?
Right.
It'd be nice if you could be
our first customer.
We're offering discounts
for the grand opening.
All right.
I was joking.
The opening ceremony will begin soon.
I'd be grateful if you could attend it.
The opening ceremony?
Jeong-suk, are you ready?
This feels like the real beginning,
so I'm nervous.
Everything will go well.
Of course. Four years have passed.
People's perception must've changed too.
Right?
All right. Get ready.
Pick up the scissors.
One, two,
three.
-All right.
-Congratulations.
Congratulations.
Only good things will come your way.
The birth rate will skyrocket in Geumje.
Come on.
-Go away!
-Go away!
An immoral business
and a menace to society, go away!
-Go away!
-Go away!
-Gosh, nothing has changed.
-Go away!
Let's drive away
the family-wrecking menaces!
-Drive away!
-Drive away!
We still have a long way to go.
Let's go inside for a bit.
-No.
-Go away!
-Go away!
-Go away!
I didn't come this far to back down.
Let's drive away
the family-wrecking menaces!
-Drive away!
-Drive away!
-Indecent business!
-Indecent business!
If they block our path,
we can fly into the sky…
even if it takes time.
Yes.
That's right.
That's right.
A VIRTUOUS BUSINESS
SPECIAL THANKS TO RA MI-RAN
Subtitle translation by: Park Dong-joo