WHEN THE PHONE RINGS
A GOOD FRIEND TO MEET
ALL CHARACTERS, LOCATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INCIDENTS DEPICTED IN THIS DRAMA ARE ENTIRELY FICTITIOUS
I've never been…
more curious about a man before.
Forget about getting arrested, 406.
I promise,
I'm going to catch you.
Wait…
Am I screwed, or did he fall for it?
What… What's he doing?
Are you hiding something from me?
Hiding something?
Give me the phone.
The phone?
Give it to me.
I want you to answer my questions.
Yesterday,
was there a car accident?
What time?
Between 6 and 7 p.m.
So…
there really was an accident.
Were you hurt?
What's this?
I asked you what this is!
No.
You don't have to answer.
Who was he?
Did you see his face?
His face was covered, so I couldn't see it.
Tell me…
what that bastard did.
Did he threaten you with a knife?
That he would kill you?
If something like that happened,
why didn't you tell me?
You said to call back when there's a corpse.
Did you see anyone suspicious just now?
Did anyone follow, approach, or talk to you?
Make sure you keep your bodyguard with you.
And get checked at the hospital.
He doesn't know, right?
SECURITY TEAM 1 LEE JEONG-WON
Hong Hee-joo's going home. Come to the second floor.
-How did it go? - It won't be easy.
The IP was bouncing around in less than ten minutes.
I think they're operating as an organization.
-An organization? - Yes.
-Do you have any ideas?
He knew more about me than I expected.
Things only family knows.
Secure the lists of the guests and service providers for the event.
The embassy event? Is he there now?
He's pretending to be.
I'll send you part of the recorded call.
Try to remove the modulator.
As soon as possible.
EPISODE 2
Say something, Paik Sa-eon!
What do you want?
Yeah, good job.
That's the correct answer.
Tell me…
what you want.
What do you want?
Yeah, good job.
That's the correct answer.
Tell me…
-what you want.
He's scared.
Paik Sa-eon is scared.
I guess it makes him angry when someone touches his things.
Yeah, Hong Hee-joo really could've ended up dead.
The car rolled on the slippery road!
Why do I care?
I've had this for two days now.
He must be looking for it.
I have to hurry.
Hong Hee-joo?
Your car key.
Is it here?
What are you doing?
Why does he want the car?
What's he looking for?
No way.
That asshole.
I have something to say to him, so call him back now!
I'm glad you're here.
What happened?
About what?
Look at the car. How did you drive it back?
I called a tow truck.
And the dashcam?
Why…
isn't anything recorded?
There's nothing on it?
Thank goodness.
You should be…
careful.
Sorry about that.
I'll get you a new car.
But don't go to work from tomorrow on, and stay at home.
I can't do that. I have to go to court.
Court?
I have to go interpret.
Alone?
I'm going with the director.
Also, I want to keep working.
Your mother told me to quit,
but I'd like to keep working, please.
Then keep the security staff while you work…
Don't make it obvious.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER PARK DO-JAE
Yes, sir.
It's a personal request, and it needs to be handled discreetly.
Can I entrust you with it?
Of course. Please, go ahead.
There's nothing on the dashcam from yesterday's accident.
See if you can restore it.
And check the traffic cameras according to the route
between 6 to 7 p.m. yesterday.
Yes, sir.
When will you join us?
Your father's waiting.
HYESEONG DAILY NEWS CHOI YEONG-JIN
- Right.
I told her to quit working.
During the election period, tell her to keep quiet and stay low.
I don't know why I have to be bothered by her.
This marriage should've never happened.
Aren't we the ones who wanted to establish ties
with Chungwoon, even if that meant switching the bride?
Father was able to get this far thanks to Chungwoon Daily News
burying his scandals.
Anyway,
who else knows about this marriage?
What?
Father, you,
Hee-joo's father, Hee-joo's mother, Hee-joo…
And Hong In-a.
No one else knows about it, but he does.
That means…
Why do you ask that?
HYESEONG DAILY CHOI YEONG-JIN
It seems you've developed a bad habit.
-I'm getting calls that bother me.
You still have a long way to go.
I've taught you that impatience is a barrier to communication.
But when you get those calls,
you look ready to go on a rampage.
Then, why don't you give me some advice?
As our country's first negotiation expert and a former criminal psychologist.
It burst with a bang!
The witness' precious testicle.
Testicle? Did his ball burst?
Your Honor, the witness now must live with the irrecoverable loss
caused by the defendant's attack with a ladle.
I'm dying!
What a load of bullshit!
You fell on your own and burst it!
Why is that my fault?
You were wasted that day, as usual.
And that happened while you tried to hit me.
How dare you lie in front of the judge, you rotten bastard?
Interpreter.
It's not the defendant's turn to speak.
Also,
try to tone down the interpretation.
Oh, sure. Duly noted, Your Honor.
Counsel, proceed with the cross-examination.
Yes, Your Honor.
Witness,
do you often drink alcohol?
Not often.
You don't have to interpret. I don't want to know.
I don't talk with that man.
-I only have fistfights with him. - I only drank a little.
I don't remember.
Isn't it funny?
As a deaf person, the person I can't communicate with is him.
That's because that woman
kept nagging me and wouldn't let me drink.
And he's my husband I've lived with for decades.
I just pushed her.
After tracking all of the routes,
this is the only footage where he was spotted.
Is that all?
From here on,
it's outside the cameras' coverage, so nothing after this.
And the embassy?
Without an official notice,
we can't get the guest list, so I called the security company.
And most external employees were part-timers.
In short…
you couldn't find anything useful?
I'm sorry, sir.
Should we request police cooperation?
Probably not.
I just think it's serious since he threatened your wife.
Mr. Park.
Have you ever seen my wife?
No, I haven't.
Have I ever spoken of my wife, even once?
No, you haven't.
The entire nation doesn't know about my wife.
They're just curious.
So, what do you think will happen
if I go public with this?
I apologize. I was thoughtless.
Hong Hee-joo's court schedule is over.
Take her home now.
Yes, sir.
Excuse me! Can you help us?
No, stop! Let go!
Come on, come help!
- Please calm down. -You damn woman!
-What's your problem? -Calm down.
Goodness.
That's better.
Thank you so much.
But where did Hee-joo go?
Ms. Hong Hee-joo?
She's not here. Find her now!
Here's a list of posts from the past month
with high approval ratings from the public.
First, we'll start from the top…
or the lowest?
Go ahead. Continue.
THE PUBLIC'S TOP 10 PICK LIST
I'm sorry.
I'm at the courthouse, but I can't locate Ms. Hong.
What do you mean you can't locate her?
She went to the restroom, and I lost her.
I'm sorry.
Find her quickly! Request support from the courthouse if you have to.
The current hot issue is the punishment for dating violence.
-The penalties are too light…
I found her.
She's with some man.
A man?
Excuse me?
A man?
Yes, mostly men.
Usually, men do it to their girlfriends or…
Who is he? What does he look like?
Sorry about earlier.
Did I scare you?
SECURITY TEAM LEE JEONG-WON
What was I thinking hovering around the women's restroom?
I saw you come out of the courtroom, but I wasn't sure.
But what brings you here?
I had to appear as a witness. What about you?
Did you come to interpret?
People commit crimes out of resentment.
This is him.
I think he's an acquaintance.
Not only are there no provisions in place,
but the legal systems also fail to protect the victims…
Which is why such crimes continue to persist.
Furthermore…
Well, many cases are classified as non-prosecutable offenses.
These result in minor penalties,
and the victim fears retaliatory crimes…
He's got a good physique.
He's good-looking.
Don't take photos.
I asked you to guard her, not to spy on her.
He asked about his appearance. What was I supposed to say?
That he has two eyes, a nose, and a mouth?
-Darn it. - Mmm.
He's totally my type.
After you suddenly cut off contact three years ago,
I looked everywhere for you.
But no one knew anything.
Then one day, I saw you on the news.
"Sign language interpreter, Hong Hee-joo."
It was great to see you.
I'm sorry I didn't contact you.
Mmm-mmm.
Hee-joo,
you're doing well, right?
You're still good at signing.
That's how I can talk to you.
Right.
Starting this week,
I'm going to the station where you interpret the news.
I've taken on a new program.
JI SANG-WOO
What type of program?
It's called "Crime Report."
It covers crime cases.
There's a cold case that I personally want to solve. So I agreed to do it.
Wait.
Give me your number.
I'll call when I go to the station.
It was great to see you.
Mmm.
In addition to strengthening related penalty laws,
experts have voiced that integrated services
in psychology, healthcare, and legal support should be provided.
Ms. Hong has returned home safely.
I'll provide additional reports regarding the measures and penalties.
Next.
Next. Okay.
Next, we discussed dating violence. Well…
This is about…
- school violence. -Wait.
Let's discuss this first.
The sign language interpreter position at the presidential office.
I see.
PRESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT OF SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER
This?
MOM MISSED CALL
MOM TEXT BACK OR PICK UP THE PHONE
I'M IN FRONT OF YOUR PLACE. YOU'D BETTER…
Why didn't you pick up the phone or go to the dermatologist?
Why do you never do what I ask you to?
Start taking these from today and prepare your body.
And this.
What do you think?
It's work clothes.
You're pathetic.
Why do I still have to bring things like this
and teach you everything?
Are you really a mother
and not a pimp?
What the hell are you saying?
Listen carefully.
When In-a ran away and you agreed to be the sub,
what did you say?
You daringly imposed a condition about your father.
That he be put in a good nursing home.
That's only if you maintain this marriage
and properly fulfill your duty as Sa-eon's wife.
If anything goes wrong,
your father will be out in the streets as soon as tomorrow.
Do you understand?
Yeah, that's how you are.
The moment your father is used against you, you can't do anything.
She's right.
This is what a weakness is.
When someone touches it, you flinch,
tremble uncontrollably…
and desperately try to defend it.
I'll try my best.
But, Mom,
I'm so curious.
Once I successfully escape this prison,
what expression will you have?
It's a misconception
that a strong stance increases your chances of winning
and a weak one does the opposite in negotiations.
Getting a serial killer to talk ultimately relies on building rapport.
In a negotiation without trust,
there's no victory.
What about you?
How well do you understand your opponent?
Have you decided?
Is there a reason…
for timing it perfectly?
That's up to me.
So?
Have you decided?
Will you put everything back or pay me?
Before that,
I'm curious about something.
Hong Hee-joo.
The entire nation thinks
Hong In-a, the eldest daughter of the chairman of Chungwoon, is my wife.
So where did you get…
your information on Hong Hee-joo?
By any chance,
are you close to me?
Considering that no one knows about this except for family,
you must be close to me.
No, wait!
What does that matter right now?
Come on, man.
You still don't get it, do you?
I'm going to bring you down.
I'm going to brand you with a scarlet letter.
I know.
What?
Some crazy guy crashed into Hong Hee-joo's car,
stabbed her headrest with a knife,
and left bruises on her forehead, neck, and shoulders.
Let me be clear.
There will be no compromise.
Do you really think that?
I have something very interesting.
How's that? Can you see it?
Still no room for compromise?
What is this?
You're her husband, and you can't recognize that?
Aren't you making it too obvious that she's not your real wife?
I asked what this is.
Be straight with me.
It's Hong Hee-joo's…
thigh.
I won't say anything right now.
How I'll use this photo
and what kind of story I'll add to it…
I'll leave that to your imagination.
How do I know…
that this is a photo of Hee-joo?
What a strange question.
You're supposed to be her husband.
Didn't you know Hee-joo has a unique mole on her thigh?
How could you not know?
Were you just not interested, or…
have you never seen her naked?
406, are you married?
What?
Are you married?
Yeah, I mean, no!
When was your first time with a woman?
-Excuse me? What? - I'm asking you a question.
Answer me, you perverted bastard.
- Pervert? -Yeah.
A pervert who uses a cheap fake photo
to fantasize about, harass, and slander my wife.
I guess blackmail isn't enough,
so I'll add one more to your list of offenses.
Article 13 of the Act of Sexual Violence Crimes,
obscenity crimes using communication media.
Sexual violence?
If you want to threaten me,
then you'd better do your research on me.
I know her better than anyone.
Don't throw random things.
You know her well?
What do you know? You're just pretending to be her husband.
It's not a fake photo.
You should check for yourself.
See if that's her thigh or not! Check for yourself!
Wait…
What did I just say?
-Did you get the signal? -Yes.
Exceeding ten minutes helped.
The presumed location is Seocho, Gangnam, or Yongsan.
It's a rough estimate, but yes.
We will identify the suspect based on the clues I provide.
When I asked him if he was married, he changed his answer.
When flustered, the first response is often the truth.
However, there's a chance he's divorced recently
or considering it.
-Take a broad approach. -Yes, sir.
And he was flustered when I asked him a sexual question.
So he might have a prior.
Check all sex offenders and search the dark web.
-Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!
Yes, sir.
Also, find the source of this photo…
It's Hong Hee-joo's thigh.
Sir?
Never mind. Get started.
He seems really angry.
I must be crazy!
Check what? What?
But what? A fake photo?
Does he know how hard I worked to take that photo?
"I know her better than anyone."
"Don't throw random things…"
What does he know?
What the heck?
Why is he coming?
The presidential office
will announce that they are recruiting a sign language interpreter soon.
You said you wanted to keep working.
There are no privileges.
If you want to do it,
earn your spot beside me.
-The presidential office?
All of a sudden?
3 YEARS AGO
Did you make this?
Let's say we ate it.
What's next?
Hong Hee-joo.
Look at me.
Do you want a tip?
Don't try to have any feelings for me.
Let it all go.
You don't need to act like a puppet in front of me.
Don't do everything your mother tells you.
Let me be clear.
You weren't part of my plan.
So, from now on,
if you interfere or get in my way,
I won't let it slide.
How could he barge into my room in the middle of the night like that?
But why didn't he check?
He didn't even ask me.
Why do I care?
Calm down.
I was just startled.
Just sleep.
Ahead of the presidential election,
the results of HBC's public opinion poll are in.
Paik Ui-yong of the Liberty and Justice Party
-ranked first in the public opinion poll.
Did you see a ghost?
Why are you so surprised?
…in the simulated competition, Paik Ui-young takes the lead…
I'll go in the afternoon.
What about breakfast?
I never skip breakfast.
He's telling me to make breakfast, isn't he?
No coffee on an empty stomach.
Cutting board.
Knife.
Pan.
Turn it on.
You'll get new guards.
I heard they lost you at the courthouse.
That was…
Then what happened?
What did you do?
A college friend.
A college friend?
Were you close?
Are they trustworthy?
Is this friend someone you can trust?
And all this time, I thought…
you were quietly and obediently living under my control.
Was I mistaken?
Eat it all.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER PARK DO-JAE
The preliminary voice analysis results are in.
- Did he make this for me?
HE'S A GOOD PERSON.
I'LL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU!
MY YOUTH SHINES BECAUSE OF YOU!
Excuse me.
- It's him! - He's here!
Are you okay?
What about you? Are you okay?
Yes.
-That's hot.
JI SANG-WOO
Oh my. You're the one appearing on our show.
Yeah.
I came for the pre-interview.
And suffered a disaster.
Sorry about that.
No, don't say that.
Those fans are a nuisance.
Such a fuss.
Wait a second.
"Fans are a nuisance"?
It's a fuss?
I mean,
to catch music shows or pre-recordings, you have to buy an album, join a fan club,
come early, wait in line, and keep waiting if the recording is delayed.
It's not a fuss.
It should be called devotion.
Have you ever burned with passion about anyone before?
My arm's feeling pretty burned.
Oh, that…
Sorry about that.
If having a crush on someone is somewhat similar to being someone's fan…
Then, yes. I've done it before.
What about you? Who are you a fan of?
Well…
He has a nice voice.
A singer?
Mmm-mmm.
He's handsome.
An actor?
He's someone who's respected and loved by the nation.
I'll leave it at that.
Anyway,
call me if you end up having to go to the hospital.
NA YOU-RI HBC ANCHOR
HEE-JOO
Come on, man. You still don't get it, do you?
I'm going to bring you down.
I'm going to brand you with a scarlet letter.
It's hard to identify someone with this.
I'm sorry.
It's not a typical voice changer.
The voice is encrypted.
-We need time to decrypt-- -I don't care how.
Tell me when you get results.
Yes, sir.
We filtered through the records of sex offenders and searched the dark web.
I looked into vehicle 1575's dashcam, and it was off at that time.
But…
Never mind.
What is it?
I tried enhancing the quality of the footage yesterday,
and I found something strange.
It's this part.
Stop.
Rewind it.
Here. Zoom in.
He'll be so happy to see his daughter.
He's been doing great lately.
Our club's treasure! Our club's pride!
Let's give a round of applause!
Kim Yeon-hui!
Goodness!
Good grief.
Why would you pick today to do this?
Put this on now! Quickly!
I'm so sorry.
He was fine just this morning.
How many times have I told you?
You won't need to perform at nightclubs again, Dad.
There you go.
Is it good?
No matter what I bring, you insist on eating that.
Don't go.
Yeon-hui, I'll do better.
So please…
Please don't go, Yeon-hui.
You should've said that…
when Mom packed her bags to leave.
Why didn't you say that then?
You made a living with that mouth of yours all your life,
so you could've at least yelled or cursed at her!
Or…
at least you could've kept me with you.
Our daughter's dream is to become an anchor.
Isn't that cool?
So…
raise Hee-joo well so she can be an anchor
at a proper broadcasting station
and won't end up
in cheap nightclubs like I did.
Okay?
Is that why…
you sent me away?
But Dad…
Dad, the thing is…
ever since I became Hong Hee-joo instead of Na Hee-joo,
I've never had a day of peace.
I pretend to be mute, living in Hong In-a's shadow.
I don't remember who I am anymore.
I'm so sick of this. I want to quit.
Dad!
Threats?
Wait.
A man sends a photo of the wife's naked--
She wasn't naked.
Either way.
He sends a sleazy photo
and threatens the husband to end it with his wife.
Yeah.
What does that sound like?
It's obvious. I'm sure…
Hey.
Who is this about?
Don't ask. You're sure of what?
What do you think? It's obvious.
I'm certain…
it's an affair.
I thought the car was forcibly taken,
but he got in very naturally.
As if she opened the door for him.
Hello--
What was that? Did he hang up?
PAIK SA-EON
Paik Sa-eon, I dare you to hang up again!
- I'm hanging up. -Wait!
Now it's hard to tell who's more desperate.
I won't stay quiet if you act this way.
Wait.
What?
If you want to talk to me that badly,
then wait.
A pervert like you
deserves a penalty like this.
Be good and wait.
-Call me back in five minutes.
PAIK SA-EON
Is he out of his mind?
PAIK SA-EON
The person you're…
The person you're trying to call…
The person you're…
PAIK SA-EON
Stay calm.
Do not get worked up.
-Stay calm… - Good job.
From now on, wait on all fours like that.
Do not get worked up.
Who knows?
I might even throw you a bone.
What did you say, bastard?
What are you trying to do?
I really won't stand for this. Don't regret this later.
PAIK SA-EON
The phone you called is turned off. You'll be directed to voicemail.
-Additional fees may apply after the beep.
PAIK SA-EON
The phone you called is turned off.
You'll be directed to voicemail.
Additional fees…
…is expected to move northward
and emphasized that we must stay vigilant.
Breaking news.
At 10:07 p.m. last night,
there was an explosion in an office in Yeouido,
resulting in injuries.
The fire department is investigating the cause of the fire.
Let's go to the scene now.
A man dressed in black with a cap on
climbs the stairs with a delivery bag.
He takes what looks like a pizza box out of the bag
and enters the fifth-floor hallway.
Moments later, bright red flames spread and black smoke rises.
This is the office where six people were injured.
Smoke lingers, with the victims' computer fragments scattered around.
According to reports, the perpetrator held a grudge
and repeatedly made threatening phone calls,
hinting at the planned crime.
HBC has an exclusive recording of the perpetrator's phone call.
You have until tomorrow to decide.
Or we can settle for two billion won. You have until tomorrow.
I was going to kill her. Do you get it?
Come on, man.
You still don't get it, do you?
The perpetrator, who had been making threats,
set fire to the victim's office last night,
-The fire department… -A fire?
When did I do that?
-There could've been casualties…
The police, fire department, and forensics
are conducting an investigation.
They'll form a dedicated team to look into the incident.
This was Jang Seok-hyeon with HBC.
Lately,
nothing makes sense.
There can't be a Hong Hee-joo I don't know about.
I need to find out
which one is the real one.
Right now,
you're my only lead.
So cooperate.
Do you want to take it off…
or should I?
WHEN THE PHONE RINGS
3 YEARS AGO
Have you decided?
Cancel the wedding tomorrow.
Make sure this arranged marriage never happens.
Or I'll expose all of your family secrets.
Let me ask you something too.
Is Hong Hee-joo…
marrying the son of the Yeonghwa Construction family?
Is that true?
It's true.
That piece of trash is the last person
that daughters of influential families would marry.
And the only woman willing to sell her daughter to him is Hee-joo's mom.
The wedding will be held as planned tomorrow.
However,
let's switch the bride.
What are you saying? You don't mean…
It won't be you. It'll be your sister.
WHEN THE PHONE RINGS
You don't know what I'm trying to do
or what I'm trying to see, right?
Interpreter Hong Hee-joo?
Do you like her?
Do you suspect me and Sang-woo?
You know him so well.
What about me? How much do you know about me?
Sis!
Call him. Keep calling him.
Dad!
Just think of it as a bad dream.
Forget it all.
Subtitle translation by: Sue Mounce