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Beyond the valley,
near the mine fields
there is a gang fight, the hunters and
their prey. There are 5 to 6 men chasing after a youngster carrying
an electric guitar and a backpack. The youngster may be a tough fighter.
He seems to be in control as he is outnumbered.
A small track trailer of mine workers is approaching. He ran faster
and climbed into the trailer. The gang almost climbed into the trailer.
The youngster fended them off by hitting them hard with his backpack.
The boy kicked and threw them out of the trailer. His backpack went
flying too.
From afar, the gang is running like crazy, cursing and throwing kicks
of frustration at each other. And the distance grows...
******High School
YoSuk is walking down the empty hallway with his guitar on his back.
After shaking off much of the dust from his jacket and pants, he reach
for the door, but the door suddenly opens from the inside.
Teacher Park (He looks down towards the guitar) (speaking in country
slang) What is this? You came to school carrying only this thing?
Where did you sell your Bookbag?
YS: ...
TP: Now I see, it is true that you work every day at the Town's Night
Club!!! But that's no reason for you to come to school carrying nothing
but this thing! Are you really a student? Or are you rather a street
peddler?
YS: (Tries to go inside the classroom with his head down.) ...
TP: (Blocked the entrance.) Where do you think you are going?
YS: ...
TP: People like you don't need to take exams! Go away!
YS: (Looking up) ... This is the last exam I should take.
TP: You know this is the final, and you still come in like this? Just
go!
YS: (Looking down again, lightly pushes the teacher and goes in.)
TP: (Holding the pointer up.) I told you to leave!!! Don't you understand?
This school doesn't need people like you who fools around all the
time!
YS: (Looking at the teacher hard.) I never fooled around. I work at
night out of necessity. (He approaches his desk. He reaches for the
exam-sheet on his desk and turns around. He passes the annoyed teacher
and leaves the room.)
Once on the Hallway, he crawls down on the floor and starts writing
on the exam-sheet. At the other end of the hall, Teacher Woo (looks
in his 60's) is standing at the door of his office, and is silently
observing...
Later, in the Principal's office
Teacher Woo reminds YS of
his dead Grandmother, and encouraged him not to give up.
YS: I won't give up... Never.
*******Night Club
YoSuk plays the electric guitar at a Night Club. After greeting his
customers, he tries to play but the same "gang" that had
pursued him before caused trouble. Once they see him, they throw insults
at him, DogN slaps at him & kicks him... But Yo Suk is not intimidated.
Instead, he stares back with a warning. "Try that again, and
I'll kill you," he says.
Everyone laughs. But they are all silenced by their boss KangSoo,
who asks YoSuk, "Why didn't you come when I asked for you?"
While the gang (especially DogN and MaeJu) got so mad and tried to
throw heavy instruments at YS, the boss quiets them down once again
with a laughter. He told Yo Suk that he likes his boldness, and for
that, he wants him.
Kangsoo: This KoKangsoo may look small to you now, but I won't rot
in this town forever, I'll play in a much larger territory some day,
you'll see. So, next time I call you, come right away.
Without responding nor showing any emotions, YoSuk went back to work.
**********Movie Theatre
YS goes to the projector's room where his friend Manbo works. Manbo
looks around to make sure no one saw him and asked, "Are you
alright? Ko KangSoo's band went crazy looking for you..."
YS: Who'd say you're not a small towns' bus-boy? Never mind them and
play this. (Hands him a roll of film.)
Mb: (Looking.) AGAIN? Don't you remember getting in trouble because
of this? The old man says the projector can get ruined. (YS ignores
him.) You and your stupid guts...
YS is watching. The movie seems very old, and shows a woman dying
of cancer, asking for her children. YoSuk takes from his pocket a
picture of that same woman. And he remembers...
*******At Grandmother's
house
(1981, if scene #1 is 1995.) Yo Suk is 4 (5 in Korean age).
Grandma: (Worried and afraid.) Why did you come? Just leave! What
are you going to do if those men followed you?
SoonIm: Mother, please. I just want to see him while he sleeps (pleading).
It will take only one minute... pleaaase?
YS: (Rubbing his eyes.) Grandma... (He opens the door.)
Grandma: Aygoo, my boy... (Trying to hug him.)
SoonIm: My YoSuk!! (Ran toward him and held him up as grandma tried
to stop her.)
SoonIm: (Didn't want to let him go. Instead, she held him more tightly.)
Dear YoSuk... I'm sorry, you're mom is really sorry... please forgive
me... what could I do, my dear YoSuk... poor child, my poor, poor
YoSuk... (Cars horn sounded outside.)
Grandma: (Caressing YS, to SI.) Is that your car? Just hurry up and
go. Are you planning to wake everyone in town?
SoonIm doesn't want to go. She is in tears.
Grandma: (forcefully takes the child away.) Give him back to me, you
have to leave now. If you want your child to have a normal life, you
have to go.
SoonIm: (Letting him go.) Dear YoSuk, study hard, do you promise?
Study really hard. (As Grandma is holding him, he nods his head) And
also, don't you forget your mommy. You shouldn't forget her, all right?
Promise me you won't forget her... (YoSuk just looks at her, not understanding
the words.)
The cars horn sounded again. With more urgency, grandma led
SoonIm outside. SI mournfully left. That was the last time he saw
her.
She committed suicide soon after, during the filming in one her movies.
*******
YS is walking home and SuHwa runs after him, riding a bike.
SH: Why do you come home this late? I thought I'd die waiting for
you.
YS: Who asked you to wait for me? Stop fooling around and go home.
SH: (Handing him a bundle of meat.) You need the protein to work and
study at the same time.
YS: (Giving it back to her.) Stop kidding with me, or I'll give you
a beating. Good Night!!!
SH: (Putting it back into his pocket) Don't be so hard on yourself.
(Running away.) And don't forget to watch me at this Saturday's Parade!
*****Inside YS's room
YS is studying. He stops. YS takes out a photo carefully covered in
aluminum foil... it's Han SoonIm's picture with her lover (Ki SungJae),
when she was young. YS observed it very closely, paying special attention
at the face of the man.
He remembers asking her grandmother who this man was. Her grandmother
had no clue, "How would I know when your mom didn't even tell
me who your father is?"
****Country Roadway
Black limousines are lined up and going at a high speed. Inside of
Benz Limousine, Jang SangYup is on the passenger's seat, and JaeSik
is next to the driver. JaeSik tries to call the "Big Boss"
to inform him of the situation, but SangYup stops him. "We shouldn't
bother Father for trivial things like these." "Hurry up!!"
*****Law University Lecture's Hall
There is a big lecture going on about Korean Mafia history and Law
& Order. Ki SungJae showed slides of the Jang's clan, 3 generation
of the Biggest Korean Mafia. He first slide showed the picture of
Jang DoSu, who formed the Gang, during the Japanese occupation. He
showed another picture of the same man in prisoner's clothes, explaining
that he has "retired" afterwards. Slides of the son follows,
Jang MyungSuk, powerful and with a much larger territory. The grandson's
picture is shown last, with only this comment, "he lacks his
father's leadership qualities. Once Jang MyungSuk is out of the picture,
the entire clan will collapse."
Hands were raised and questions asked. The most challenging questions
were asked by "Ki Soongjun". He looked like a prominent
student who has confidence that the future is his hands. SungJae looked
very pleased at such intelligent questions, and reverted with a satisfied
smile. Later, outside the Lecture Hall, SungJae shook hands with the
Law Professor who thanked Mr. Prosecutor for taking the time to lecture
his students. Joining them is Soongjun, Mr. Prosecutor's son.
****Country Factory Warehouse
Chanshik's band is "training" with their knifes and their
fists. Suddenly, they are invaded by SangYup's band, who get out of
their cars before they stop. The first group is soon overpowered by
the second. SangYup have Chanshik's band lined up and on their knees,
asking: "Where is your boss?" He gets no answer.
Directing his attention to the one in the middle, SY draws an apple
to his forehead and challenges the defeated man to throw a knife towards
the apple. "If you do it without touching my face, I'll let you
live." The knife is thrown...
****Dark Mansion
Slap, slap & slap. Jang MyungSuk is mad at SangYup, rebuking him
for playing stupid and dangerous games. He tells his son that he is
the heir to the clan, so he should never get himself involved in petty
disputes. He should always stay behind the scenes and just give orders.
If others get caught, that's too bad. But if he gets caught, that's
the end of 40 years of building this maffia. "How many times
have I told you to be more prudent, and to play it smart?"
****Police Station
Mr. Prosecutor is respectfully greeted by the policemen inside. One
of them, looking at a crowd of teenagers arrested for illegally playing
at a Night Club, mentioned, "Shame on them. Don't they have better
things to do then that? I wonder who their parents are." Mr.
Prosecutor looks at him and lamely says, "You are looking at
one. There is my daughter" (pointing at HaeJu). The police officer
is startled and blushed, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
Inside the car is Ki SungJae with HaeJu and her friend InSu, both
looking down, ashamed.
HaeJu whispered, "I'm sorry Dad..."
His father, while driving, said calmly, "Why do you do things
that you'll regret later?"
InSu defended by saying it was all his fault. Silence. Prosecutor,
still driving, mentioned that she has passed the exam and she is accepted
by the Program. At once, HaeJu's face brightens up, and she cries
for joy, kissing and hugging her father. Prosecutor smiles at her
in congratulation, and continues driving. To InSu, "If you're
going to take her to the Club again, don't get caught!"
****Dark Mansion: Jang MyungSuk's Room
JaeSik is standing next to Mr. Jang, who asked him about the traitor
"ChanSik". MS ordered, "You know what to do with him."
MS looked tired. He has to deal with a careless son who likes adventure
and fun over serious matters. And taking good care of this son...He
signed and whispered, "If I had another son, I wouldn't be so
concerned. I could give him up more readily. But I happen to have
only one. If only I had another son..."
******Yo Suk's Room (night)
It's the anniversary of his mother's death. YS kneeled down in front
of a table filled with food and incense. SuHwa tried to come in but
YS pushed her away. She peeped inside again, and corrected YS regarding
the proper ways of doing the memorial. YS pushed her outside and closed
the door. She opened it and exclaimed, "Didn't you tell me your
mom always rode on humongous cars? How on earth will she find you
if you keep this door all locked up?"
YS paused for a second... and opened the door from then on...
******Rail Road tracks (day)
YS: Last night, I dreamt of my father. But once I got closer to him,
it became someone else... Some times, I think my father has abandoned
my mother and I. Or maybe, he doesnt even know I existed.
He is walking with SuHwa who asked, "What are you going to do
once you graduate?"
YS: I'll leave this town never to come back again.
SH: (looking afraid) Come on... This is your hometown.
YS: (Looking far ahead) I have no hometown.
*****Towns Street Parade
YS is watching the Parade from the windows of a classroom. Suddenly,
he is surrounded by Ko KangSoo's band. KangSoo tells him that he needs
him to deliver a message to the police station. He couldn't send his
other guys because their identities are all known. "Besides,"
he continues, "with your clean record, you won't get more than
a year if you get caught. And I'll take care of you afterwards. You
can count on that."
YS is unmoved. He simply said he wouldn't do it. This brings rage
and the boss signals for the boy to be taught a lesson. DogN and MaeJu
hold him hold him... but YS suddenly pushes and kicks them both out
of the classroom, locking the door. So now, he is inside all alone
with the "boss." KS seems to be in shock, unable to react,
while YS looked at him, threw his fist at him, and told him to leave
him alone (his eyes speaking of danger). The door broke open, and
YS ran and jumped out of the window. SuHwa is marching at the Parade,
so he told her in a hurry to take care of his mother's pictures and
belongings (this being his farewell to her).
So now, everyone is running, YS in front, and the gangsters behind
him. Far below, the train is moving, and YS catches up to it. The
rest come too late, even Su Hwa, who sadly sees Yo Suk disappearing
from the far distance. And she called him, "Yo Suk!!!"
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