[Call Me Mother]
--
[This program is suitable for viewers ages 15 and up.]
[Episode 5]
Are you asleep, Mom?
I'm not asleep.
But I don't want to move.
I feel the same way.
It'll probably be cold outside.
Right?
It's warm here.
Right?
Yeah.
You know that story of the boy and girl
who were wandering around in a forest
and discovered a house made of snacks?
This reminds me of that.
You mean Hansel and Gretel?
You know how I almost screamed
when they found that house made of snacks?
Because I was so happy?
Are you saying that we're like Hansel and Gretel?
We had the book with that story in it, at school
but the page where they found the house made of snacks
was all worn out, since it was the most frequently read.
Do you know what happens after that?
They almost die.
Because that house belongs to a witch.
Really?
I didn't get to that part yet.
It's a house that a witch made out of snacks
so that she could lure young children in.
Oh no.
But they don't die.
The kids kill the witch, and run away.
What about the house?
Do they eat it all?
Are you hungry?
Yes.
We have to get you something to eat.
You need to eat so that you can take your medicine.
This footage is from December 16th at 10:45 p.m.
on the second floor of Baek Island Mart.
What, you can't see it again?
We zoomed in as much as possible so you could see her eyes, nose, and mouth.
On that day...
I was a bit annoyed even before I'd gone to the supermarket.
I hurried out since I thought that it'd be closing soon.
But Hye Na said that she wanted to go to the bathroom
as soon as we got in the car.
I barely managed to check out at the supermarket, and was leaving
but she said she wanted to use the bathroom again
as soon as the elevator came!
So you hit her with the cart?
It looks a lot worse in the footage.
She only got a few scrapes and bruises, is all!
On December 12th, you pushed your child in front of your home, didn't you?
This day was probably the day...
that Hye Na asked me to buy a new cage for Jjing.
My hands were shaking because I was worried about my credit card bill
at the end of the month.
But she kept complaining about how the door of Jjing's cage opened
and said, "What if Jjing runs away?"
Um, if you have some time by any chance, ma'am...
take care of these for me.
I have to hurry and go to a funeral by tomorrow morning.
They can't get cold.
And be sure to give them fresh water in the morning.
Sure.
This is rice, and some side dishes.
And if you open up the cabinet under the sink
you'll find pots and a rice cooker.
I'm busy, so I'll get going. Get some rest.
Um, thank you for the food!
I...
hit Hye Na a lot.
I hit her with my hands...
and with whatever else I could get my hands on.
But Seol Ak never did that.
He protected Hye Na...
and protected me.
There was nobody who had done that for me before.
The only one who had done that for me was Seol Ak.
Hello, sir.
That'll be 1,400 won.
Meet me "there" after work.
Have a pleasant day.
Is it okay for you to be drinking coffee?
Seeing your face is making me a bit nervous, Honey.
So I have to drink coffee to calm my nerves.
I...
want to get married.
That person doesn't know about anything.
About Won Hee, I mean.
I really want this to work out for me.
If you're going to get married...
you must have saved up some money.
How much do you need?
You tell me.
Is three million won enough?
It's because I have to spend a lot...
on the dress and other things.
- Five million? - Hey.
You're getting married...
and yet, I can't do anything for you.
But what I can do is take that money and go away forever.
Also, let me borrow your car.
If I just lend you five million and my car...
will things really be over for good between us?
No.
You have to...
guess the correct answer to this question
for this to all be over.
Why did Won Hee die?
Your son, Won Hee.
Why did he die?
Won Hee...
was playing on the balcony...
while I went out to work...
and climbed up on top of the clay fermentation jars...
and fell.
That's what you may be telling others...
but you have to state the real reason to me.
That it was because you wanted Won Hee to disappear.
That's not true.
- You did it! - Because I knew how you felt.
If you still had Won Hee
do you think you'd be able to get married?
You know?
That was because you wanted Won Hee to disappear.
That's not true.
You did it!
Because I knew how you felt.
You got back early.
Yes.
Are you considering...
putting your rooftop room up for rent?
Yes.
May we stay there for just one month?
Yes, you can.
How much should I give you for rent?
The rent for the barber shop is 1.5 million won per month.
So I'll need at least 200,000 won from you per month.
That's way too cheap.
You don't have to stay here if you don't want to.
If I accept a lot of rent from you, I'll have to do everything you ask.
I don't like having to worry about things like that.
Here you are.
Hello.
Is the guest staying at Suite 816 here?
Just a moment.
She checked out.
Oh... really?
You're the first person who's accompanying me as a guardian.
I've never taken someone to the doctor's office with me before.
Why not?
Mr. Jae Beom, Yi Jin, and everyone else are so good to you, though.
I've lived like a queen all these years.
I've never lost my dignity as an actress before.
I know.
You're amazing.
Do you know what my secret to that is?
It's because I'm always putting on an act.
The role I've been assigned is that of a queen.
An ice queen.
So I never let myself reveal my true emotions.
And whenever I ask a favor of someone, I do it in a demanding way.
And no matter how nice people are to me
I act as if it's only natural that they treat me that way.
And if someone wrongs me in any way
I pay them back tenfold or more, without remorse.
I've never cried in front of others
without a camera there to shoot me, either.
Except for one person.
I've only ever cried in front of you.
My husband ran off last year with some younger woman.
And left me with nothing but debt.
I know that there are many women
who overcome that and live on with a strong will, but...
I wasn't one of them.
I was so miserable that I could die, and I caused a drunk driving accident.
So all the projects that I had lined up were canceled.
I was considering just dying, and then...
my agency insisted that I needed to clean up my image.
So I went to the orphanage, planning to volunteer there for just one week.
You know that I truly had a fabulous time there, right?
It was all thanks to you.
And so, I thought...
that I would have nothing to fear if I had a child like you.
I guess I'm just that kind of person.
I'm too scared to live by myself.
If you really hate this so much
just think of me as the CEO of your entertainment company.
I'll do my very best
and make sure you're well-fed, well-dressed, and well-educated.
And I'll be on your side, no matter what.
I'll take you to your hospital appointments from now on...
until I leave Korea.
Thanks.
Also, let's take this opportunity to revise our contract.
I'll be the CEO of your entertainment company
and you'll be one of my talents.
As for the terms of the contract
we promise to respect one another
and let each other live freely.
If we do that, we may be able to grow closer together.
Okay, fine!
But you know, I think you've changed a bit.
When I first put you in the backseat of my car
and felt as if I'd become a mother for the first time...
it feels kind of like back then.
Really?
I want to be a barber when I grow up, too.
Why?
The barber scissors are so pretty.
And they make such a pleasant sound.
And you look so cool when you're working.
And the men are powerless against you, too!
Yoon Bok.
There's no need for you to become a barber later on.
Why not?
Because you can become one now.
Every barber starts
with sweeping up the hair on the floor.
And the most important thing is that you wash other people's hair well.
Doesn't it seem like there's too much lather in my hair?
Ow!
Ow, that hurts.
Oh?
It's okay, it's okay!
This is the scan that we took last week.
You can see how the tumor has spread, right?
Don't scare the poor girl. She may cry.
All doctors talk like this.
And there are some who even tell you not to get treatment
saying that the people who will die will die while suffering
and those who will get better will get better.
And there are tons of different treatment options nowadays, too.
So, which treatment methods have you tried so far?
Well...
I bought a pair of sneakers.
And a pair of pants that match them.
And an overcoat that matches those.
And I don't pick up phone calls from people I don't like.
And I eat whatever I want, whenever I want.
So, have you decided to have chemotherapy?
For now, yeah.
What... made you change your mind?
I'm not scared of dying.
Because I can just do it in my own style, like everything else I do.
I don't think you'd understand, Doctor, since you're a man.
But the thing about being a mother is that...
Being a mother means that
you can't leave behind your children to just go and die.
I have three children, Doctor.
Two of them grew up in a normal environment, and are adults.
But she's the only one among my kids
who stopped growing up when she was eight
and is the same as she was then.
In my heart, I mean.
Get some rest, Ma'am.
Mom.
You can stop acting now.
Even queens are allowed to be themselves, a little.
And when it gets too much for them, they're allowed to retire.
And if you're in pain, complain about it a bit.
If it weren't for you...
I'd rip all of this off and leave this place.
I'm good at handling emotional pain.
But I'm really bad with physical pain.
But you know, Mom...
you're not exactly great at dealing with emotional pain, either.
Yeah.
Mom.
Mom!
[Samhwa Barber Shop]
[I'll be right back. If you need me, please call 010-822-7329]
What are their names?
I named them so long ago, but it's been so long since I've called them by name.
So I've forgotten their names.
Do these birds know that they belong to you
even if you don't call them by their names?
Every time my mom calls my name
I think to myself that I'm my mom's child.
Really?
Yoon Bok.
That's quite a lovely name.
I know, right?
But, is it okay if I feed them?
I like to feed animals.
I'll entrust the bird-feeding task to you from now on, then, Yoon Bok.
All right!
What is there in Iceland?
Birds, the ocean, and the sky.
Tons of academic papers that need to be written.
And...
I have a secret that only I know about.
A man?
Ugh, how boring.
Can't you leave later if it's not about having a man?
I might die soon, after all.
I'll come back.
I'll be back in six months, at the very latest.
Or in three months.
Hah.
I have to stay alive for six whole months, then.
Please.
Doctor Jung?
She's right next to me.
Want me to put her on the line?
Why did you call me if you weren't going to ask me to put her on the line?
I'm in so much pain right now because of the chemo.
Doctor Jung--
What a strange fellow.
What about this one?
That's the key for that safe over there.
What about this one?
That's the key for the bird cage.
I'll need to hold on to this one.
Since I'm the one who feeds them.
Sure.
What about this one?
That one is...
I'm not sure about that one.
Let's stop this now.
It'll be bad if I lose any of these. Okay?
[Safe]
On December 16th, at Baek Island Mart, did you push a cart
at Kim Hye Na, your own daughter?
Yes.
Are you at all related to the disappearance of Kim Hye Na?
No.
Did you kill Kim Hye Na?
No.
Is Lee Seol Ak, the man you live with, related to Kim Hye Na's disappearance?
No.
Has Lee Seol Ak, the man you live with
ever abused Kim Hye Na?
No.
Honey.
Mister.
Can you hurry and get me the passport I asked you about earlier?
I'm actually supposed to meet up with them today.
- What? - That's not true.
- Hey, watch it! - Pardon me.
Excuse me. I'm sorry.
Hello! I'm Park Jae Beom, the person who contacted you earlier.
Oh, I see.
I've heard a lot about you.
I see.
- What's this? - Well, this is...
I heard that you liked the 30-year-old ones, so I...
Thanks.
But I like single malts more.
What brings you here?
[Samhwa Barber Shop]
I'm sorry for being back so late.
I came straight here.
Yoon Bok didn't cough much today.
She had a good appetite and played a lot.
She got washed up, and she's sleeping now.
Thank you.
Thanks to you, I was able to take my mother to the hospital.
You shouldn't take young children to hospitals, after all.
Yes. Yoon Bok isn't completely healthy right now, so--
You shouldn't take healthy children to hospitals, either.
If you have to go there, just leave her here and go.
All right.
I'm quite thankful, but...
I don't think that's fair to you.
Then...
do you want to pay me?
You can pay me money to look after your child.
Shall I do that, then?
I feed her lunch and dinner and do everything else, too, so...
I'll need at least 5,000 won from you.
Then, I'll give you 5,000 per hour.
Yoon Bok's mother.
Yoon Bok feeds herself with her own hands
and she can take care of herself just fine
so how could I accept that
when it's not even that hard to look after her?
It'll be 5,000 won per day.
Also, I'm looking after your child because I like her.
If anything, she's doing me a favor by keeping this old crone company.
I'm so used to eating alone every day.
But now, I hear a cute voice talking to me as I eat.
And that gives me more of an appetite.
But still, that's not nearly enough money.
Is your mother severely ill?
Yes.
She has cancer.
Goodness.
I saw her on a TV show not too long ago, though.
You... know my mother?
Everyone in this neighborhood knows her.
And I've been living here for 27 years now.
Um...
I've been meaning to ask you this, but...
but, 20 years ago, back when I was a high schooler...
when there was a car accident right in front of this store...
[Kang Soo Jin]
wasn't the person who treated my injury at the scene
and called an ambulance for me...
you, Ma'am?
No.
My mother visited you, saying that she'd like to repay you.
But she said that you insisted that you weren't the one.
I don't remember that.
I'll need to get some sleep now.
You should go upstairs and get some rest too, Yoon Bok's mom.
Mom.
You were waiting for me, weren't you?
What's the matter, Yoon Bok?
I came home too late, didn't I?
Did you wait for me for a long time?
It's because...
I'm so happy.
We don't have to go anywhere...
and we don't have to run.
Because we can just be here...
like this.
We'll...
become even happier, day by day.
Later on, it'll feel natural to be happy.
Later on, you won't even remember...
your old name or your old life.
And when I tell you later on that you cried because you were so happy
you'll laugh, thinking that it was ridiculous.
Hey, Yoon Bok.
I think you were right.
The barber shop lady...
seems to be quite a kind person.
We're so lucky...
that we're able to live here.
[Kang Yi Jin]
[Will]
If you have any questions, the attorney here will take care of them.
I don't like this.
Why are you making these sorts of preparations, as if you'll be dying?
Shouldn't you be focusing on your chemo treatment right now?
Yes.
My body may be healthy, but I periodically work on my own will as well.
It's a completely normal thing to do.
My real estate will be distributed equally after being appraised.
As for my shares and gold, they are to be sold at market price
and the profits are to be distributed equally.
I'm so, so sorry.
But I have to go now.
I'm fine with anything, Mom. If you leave me things, I'll be thankful.
But if you don't, that's fine, too.
I'll do exactly as you all decide today.
That's... okay with you, right?
Of course.
Hurry and go, then.
I'll see you this weekend, Yi Jin and Soo Jin!
I'm going to give this house to Yi Jin.
But, Yi Jin.
You can't sell this house until I die.
Why not, Mom?
There needs to be a place for our family to get together.
It costs so much to maintain this huge house!
And I might need cash in a hurry later on!
In exchange...
the furniture in this house, as well as the decorations and my clothes
will all be yours.
Including your shoes, bags, and jewelry, too?
Yeah.
Well, I'm the only one who has your shoe size.
I'm sorry...
but I'd like to give up my right to inherit anything.
I'm sorry, Soo Jin.
But I won't be leaving you anything.
I was thinking for quite a long time
after the two of us spoke.
I wanted to let you be as free as possible
so I rewrote my will.
I won't give you anything at all.
You won't be held down by me anymore.
And you have no obligations toward me anymore, either.
So go and fly free, to wherever you wish.
Thank you so much. Really.
But here, it says...
You'll see when you read it until the end.
Those things aren't being passed down to you
but to your future children, Ms. Soo Jin.
I don't want my children to inherit anything, either.
Just as you are my daughter, yet I can't force you to do as I wish
I don't think you'll be able to force your child to do as you wish, either.
I've made it so your child can decide for themselves when they are of age.
Because there is a possibility that you may never have a child
your share of the inheritance will be used to establish a charitable foundation
starting from five years after Ms. Cha's death.
Ms. Cha has said that she would like for that foundation
to assist single mothers and their children.
And she was considering making Ms. Yi Jin the chairwoman of the foundation.
Yi Jin is most suitable for running an organization
and she likes children, too.
Do you think I'll be good at doing that?
I've always wanted to try doing something like that.
Big Sis.
How old are you turning this year, again?
38...
Oh, you're definitely still young enough to have a child!
You need to know the dangers associated with doing this, okay?
I have no idea why you need this, or what you'll be using it for.
I don't want to know, either.
I'm only worried about one thing, which is
what will happen to Madam if you take that and try to leave the country
and get caught at immigrations.
Let's not get into you, okay? This is your choice, after all.
However, it's different when it comes to Madam.
She hasn't had any scandals for the past 30 years
and I worked so hard to make sure that her name was never on any online posts
so that she could focus on just acting.
So do you think I'd allow her name to be on the 9 o' clock news
when I've worked so hard for all these years?
That's why I'm entrusting this to you.
That's why, yesterday...
I met with the biggest name in the business.
Hey.
You know that the NIS is the first to know about
celebrities' personal lives, right?
How is it that Mister and Soo Jin have so much to discuss?
Well, if he gets started on how long he had to search for Soo Jin
it's impossible to stop him.
Hey, you should smile too, all right?
Yi Jin is staring at us from over there.
At any rate, I had to go through three people and drink with six
in order to be able to meet that man.
What kind of person is he?
The less you know, the better.
Curiosity killed the cat.
He said it'll take two weeks.
That's too long.
They'll be sending us the invoice soon
so have the money ready, okay?
All right.
That's the spot we talk in when we're discussing secret matters.
That's where Big Sis yelled at me after she caught me smoking in middle school.
Oh, and when I found out that I was pregnant with twins
that's where I cried in Hyun Jin's arms
and debated whether I should get married or get an abortion.
Let's split up here.
Is it true that you're missing a finger?
Huh?
I heard that you lost it while you were in prison.
Want to take a look?
Have you heard other rumors about me, too?
That you killed someone.
Doesn't that scare you?
I feel like those are all lies.
You're a nice person, after all.
And my mom said that you seem like a nice person, too.
My mom is a scientist, so she knows everything.
All right.
Yoon Bok.
I've gotten really old now...
so can't you call me "Grandma"?
Grandma?
Can I call you "Granny Finger"?
Sure.
Mom.
Can't you stay home from work today?
What are you all going to eat if I don't work?
I won't eat anything today, then.
You can...
order some chicken and eat it with Uncle later.
Why not?
Chicken is your favorite food, though.
I'm scared of Uncle.
Why would you be scared?
He lived with us when you were younger, after all.
So Mi...
Because of Uncle, So Mi...
Shut it.
So Mi died while I was bathing her.
And she was always really sickly, anyway.
That's not true.
Uncle told So Mi that they should take a bath together.
So Mi was always really sickly
so she had tubes attached to her shoulder and arms, and other spots like that.
But Uncle took all of those off her, and took her to the bathroom to bathe her.
And not too long after, Uncle called you
so you ran back here, crying.
- And an ambulance came-- - Hey.
Stop making things up.
How could you remember that when you were only five years old?
If you have to go, take Byung Gook with you.
What if Uncle tries to bathe Byung Gook, too?
Why do you want to go to a concert when you're not even feeling well?
It's because I'm sick that I'm going to a concert.
When people are truly ill, music cannot make them feel anything.
The Vivaldi piece that brought one to tears 20 years ago
sounds like nothing more than mere noise.
Do you have any idea what it feels like to live like that?
The desperation of a cancer patient
who doesn't have many days left to listen to music...
Do you understand what that feels like?
Oh!
There he is.
Oh.
Oh, I'm so scatterbrained!
I had a fitting today, but I completely forgot about it!
Also, here, Soo Jin.
See the concert with Doctor Jung.
Oh yeah, did I tell you? Doctor Jung is an excellent violinist.
Does she have to shoot some extra scenes again today?
No.
It's a fitting.
The TV show is over now, so she can't use the "extra scene" excuse.
Oh.
How is Yoon Bok?
She's gotten a lot better.
Her fever has gone down and she coughs a lot less now.
She's running around now.
She's taking her medication, right?
She can't stop taking it just because she's gotten better.
Yes, she's taking it.
Give me the tickets.
Go on now.
Madam Cha doesn't know about Yoon Bok, right?
And I'm sure that had you on edge while you were on your way here.
Because you want to hurry back to Yoon Bok.
Please go. Yoon Bok will be waiting.
Thank you.
Also, I'd like to examine Yoon Bok.
Shall I visit you two where you're staying?
That's... a bit...
Then, based on how Yoon Bok is doing...
there's a park around here, out front.
There's a cafe there. Please meet me there.
I'll wait there, and I'll leave if it seems like you won't be coming.
Take care.
[Samhwa Barber Shop]
[Special Documentary Featuring Actress Cha Young Shin]
Based on what we've confirmed so far
two of the three times, she was hit was by her mother.
And the reason for the final injury is unknown.
Is that relevant to the child's disappearance?
Well, I can't say for sure that it is, but--
You won't be able to make a case out of this.
You have no decisive evidence!
The defendant has confessed to it.
What is the most decisive piece of evidence in a case like this?
It's the child! The child!
We need to get her corpse out of the sea to figure out how much she was hurt.
Let her go!
And focus on finding the child first.
You got that?
What are you doing, Byung Gook?
What's this?
"The curved, sloping road."
"A large bag with wheels."
"When a balloon gets bigger and bigger."
"A key and a lock."
"Cafe latte."
"When my eyes meet a cat's gaze."
"The path that leads down to the ocean."
"The sound of Jjing eating sunflower seeds."
"When my mom holds me tight."
"The sound of waves."
"Long Legs Kindergarten."
"Ongdalsaem Class."
"Lee Won Hee."
[Lee Won Hee from Long Legs Kindergarten, Ongdalsaem Class]
Yoon Bok. Kim Yoon Bok!
What is this? Where did you get this?
That's...
Granny's.
It's Granny Finger's key.
"The first day that Ms. Kang Soo Jin smiled."
Let's stop here for today, Student.
What?
Let's stop here for today. Come back tomorrow.
What do you mean? You only cut half of my hair.
I won't accept any money from you.
I'll cut the rest for you tomorrow.
How can I keep my hair like this until tomorrow?
You have a younger sibling, right?
Bring them here, too.
I'll cut their hair for free, too.
Hurry and go.
Come back tomorrow.
Can you...
unlock this for me?
You promised me that you would.
That you'd come and unlock this for me.
Are you going to buy me a bike, Mom?
Let's buy the bike later.
I don't have enough money today, so...
[Bicycle Lock]
Shall we buy this instead?
You can lock your bike up with this later, when you get a bike.
Yes!
You said...
that you'd buy me a bike later, right?
You...
remember...
the things that happened on that day?
No.
I don't remember.
I don't remember anything that happened...
before that day.
The doctors told me that
it's a defense mechanism to protect me from painful memories.
But every time I have flashbacks like this, once in a while...
it frightens me.
I'm sorry.
I've lived my entire life without thinking about...
my birth mother.
I've never waited for her...
and I've never once thought that I wanted to meet her.
I've never once thought that I wanted to show her
what kind of person I am or how I ended up living my life.
Not even once. So, why?
Why did you open such an out-of-place barber shop here?
All while being teased and called a witch by the neighborhood kids?
It pisses me off!
Oh! Oh no!
Wake up, Yoon Bok. Let's go.
Where are we going, Mom?
We have to hurry and get out of here.
Hurry up and pack your things.
Wait, Yoon Bok! Yoon Bok!
Can you give this to your mom?
Hurry and follow her.
[Shin Ja Young]
The investigation is over.
Hurry back, Honey. Everything will be fine.
Where are we going?
Mom.
Why are you locking me up here?
I'm not a bike.
It's going to be a while until I can come back.
But I can't have someone take my Soo Jin away while I'm gone.
It'll be bad if you go somewhere and I can't find you.
I'm not going to go anywhere, though.
I won't go anywhere, and wait right here!
I know.
Eat this while you wait for me, Soo Jin.
Are you going to be back by the time I'm done eating this?
Yeah.
Eat it slowly.
I'll eat it super, super slowly.
You, the person who is my mother...
I wasted a tremendous amount of time...
so that I would stop thinking of you...
and so that I wouldn't wait for you anymore.
Let's go.
"Lee Won Hee from Ongdalsaem Class at Long Legs Kindergarten."
"The first day that Ms. Kang Soo Jin smiled."
Take a seat.
I'll take a look at that.
How did this happen?
I broke a cup.
You need stitches.
You do it for me, Doctor.
Can you...
let us sleep at your place tonight?
--
[Call Me Mother]
Why did you do it?
Did you hate me?
If you threw me away like that, you should be living a nice life now.
Isn't that the least you could do for me?
Find the child first, no matter what.
Where are you, Hye Na?
Why did she go to Iceland?
Please don't try to learn any more about us.
Soo Jin has a child?
Is a dangerous person after you?
I want to go home, Mom.
Our house.
I will never see you again.
Not all moms can raise a child.