EPISODE 12
SCHOOL BULLETIN BOARD
HELLO, I'M YOON BOM, THE ETHICS TEACHER
Don't hide, don't avoid anything, and don't run.
Let's go.
Han-gyul, did you see this?
BULLETIN BOARD
HELLO, I'M YOON BOM, THE ETHICS TEACHER
What's this?
Ms. Bom.
Bom...
Hello.
I'm Yoon Bom, the ethics teacher.
I'm sure many of you have been curious about why I came down to this town.
Despite the countless rumors,
I have been silent about it
because I was
in a situation where I needed to be silent instead of explaining myself at the time.
I believed that everyone would be happy as long as I kept silent,
and I believed that my wounded heart would heal with time.
But I've realized
the truth can only be protected with courage, not with time.
So now,
I'm bringing myself to tell all of you what I went through.
Mom.
Actually, I…
I almost had a heart attack.
Who's that now?
Could it be a reporter?
What?
I'm sure it isn't. I'll go check.
I'm sorry if you're offended.
But, as you said, getting first place is pointless for me.
I don't need good grades since I'm not going to college.
And I don't have parents fussing about it.
It must've been fun.
I had no idea and said studying was a stamina game
and that it felt like the world noticed my effort.
Watching me think I really beat you must've been fun.
I wanted to give you first place as a present.
That's all.
Do you seriously think that's a present?
Giving someone what they want the most, isn't that what a present is?
Don't contact me for a while.
What?
I'll stop seeing you now and focus on my studies.
But, Se-jin, we just started going out.
Coming first on my own terms…
That's the present I want the most.
Hello.
I'm Sun Jae-gyu.
I told him to come.
Jae-gyu told me he had something to discuss with you.
We were gathering here anyway,
and I thought it'd be better to discuss it together.
I met the department head at Disfact before coming here.
What?
Can you can delete all the copies of the conversation you recorded here?
I mean, it's so easy to make copies these days.
So I need to be sure.
Look. I need you
to delete the original and copies from your hard drive
and cloud drive in front of me. All of them.
And drop the request for a preliminary injunction.
You see,
I have a bad habit of getting things done at all costs once I set my mind to it.
If I delete the recording and you publish the article,
there will be no more settlement.
And I'll take legal action
against everything including this agreement.
You will…
pay for your mistake.
He promised not to publish the article.
I can finally breathe again.
It feels like I've been dragged out of my coffin.
I'll meet the reporter and take care of legal matters tomorrow.
Bom.
You should be relieved too.
It's all over now.
It's not over for me yet.
I'm sorry, Mom. I…
I posted it on the school bulletin board.
Post what?
About why I came to the town
and what I'd gone through.
Everything.
You foolish brat!
Honey.
You're too good for your own good.
The reporter was about to quit, so why would you reveal it first?
Mom.
I still have nightmares every night.
About the woman slapping me in front of the students
and about the man being in front of my place.
If the world forgot about it,
I thought it would be erased from my mind too.
But, no.
Even if the world might have,
I can't forget about it.
I did as you said back then,
so please listen to me this time.
Please.
Will you really be all right?
Of course not.
Then how about doing it tomorrow, not today?
Or do you want me to go in with you?
No.
I'm scared and nervous, and I want to hide,
but I have to sort this out myself.
All right.
Then good luck with it. I'll be waiting here until you're done.
All of you have read what I posted, right?
I've always told you that what needs to be done needs to be done.
However, I myself have been putting off what I needed to do.
And as a teacher,
especially as someone teaching you ethics,
I feel so ashamed.
Even if you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do.
But still…
I hope you do.
And now, there's not much time left between us.
Putting aside what happened today,
I'm going to do my best to teach you until the end.
Any questions?
Yes, Se-jin.
Ma'am, is our school going to open the special class for the mock exam?
I'll talk to the principal about that.
Or, how about our class does self-study sessions during the break?
Geez… Choi Se-jin, stop making such a fuss.
-Why would we do that during the break? -Exactly.
Quiet.
I know finals are over, but don't hang around,
and go straight home, okay?
Yes, ma'am.
Get home safe.
-Thank you! -Thank you!
Ms. Bom just dismissed her class.
She'll be here soon.
When she comes, no one says anything, okay?
But we should ask her about the bulletin board.
She's been suffering because of it since yesterday.
How do you think she must've felt to post it herself?
Since she posted herself, we should ask her
whether she really had an affair or not.
For God's sake.
I already got the answer to that, so ask me what you want to know.
I heard it from Attorney Choi I-jun that you like so much.
Attorney Choi?
Oh, she's here.
Well, should I have soju with chicken feet or beer with fried chicken?
How about soju with pork belly?
Sounds great.
Ms. Bom.
We need to conduct a survey regarding summer break classes,
so please draw up the letter to parents.
Ms. Bom.
The principal's talking to you.
Sure. I'll finish it and give it you tomorrow.
Okay.
Mr. Park, this is Hong Jung-pyo.
What happened?
You told me it would make headlines,
so I even told you about her dating the thug.
What?
You pulled it?
What are you…
Hey, I-jun.
I caught the one who tipped them off.
Who?
Well, the one who did it is…
Hello? Mr. Choi, this is Hong Jung-pyo.
It wasn't me.
The reporter already knew about the affair when he came to me.
All I did was just humor him a little.
Something like this won't happen again.
So please don't tell the governor.
Sure. Goodbye.
DISFACT REPORTER PARK
DELETE
What are you doing?
You said you wouldn't do it again, so I helped you.
Here.
WELCOME TO SHINSU MARKET
Will you be okay?
This is the most crowded place in town.
Now that I've revealed my secret, I should get used to criticism.
If anyone criticizes you,
I'll be your shield to protect you.
Auntie.
I heard the rumor.
I thought you two were married.
Well, that's…
If you're not, marry him already.
Just have three or four kids,
then he'll raise them really well.
Geez.
-Ms. Bom. -Ma'am.
Ma'am.
I heard it from Dong-pyo this morning.
I made some porridge. Come pick it up.
Porridge?
We had a good sesame harvest this year thanks to Han-gyul's uncle.
Goodness.
Dong-pyo was worried sick about you, so I made a big pot of porridge, okay?
Thank you.
-Bye. -Bye.
I guess people in Shinsu aren't that harsh after all.
They are, actually.
I went through a lot because of the rumor that I was a thug.
I can't believe these people.
They treat you so differently.
This is why your impression is important.
They were so harsh to me, while they are all so kind to you.
Let's go. I'll buy you pumpkin sikhye.
It's the best cure for cooling down.
This way.
Goodness.
It's over there.
Han-gyul.
Why are you out here?
REPORT CARD
I'm sorry, Uncle.
I wasn't thinking straight.
You shouldn't apologize to me.
You should apologize to Se-jin.
I know it was wrong.
But I truly did it for Se-jin.
Her parents looked down on her because she always came second,
so I wanted it to stop.
The one who looked down on her the most
is you, Han-gyul.
It's me?
You decided she had no chance no matter how hard she tried.
That's why you thought you should just let her come first. Right?
That's not a present.
That's charity.
Here, have this.
Uncle.
What?
Can I go to college?
-Is that also because of Se-jin? -No.
To tell the truth, I've wanted to go to college,
but I thought I couldn't leave you here alone.
So once I graduated,
I was going to work with you at your company.
I don't need you.
Talk about getting ahead of yourself.
Phillip's doing a good job. And who said I would hire you?
You're ridiculous.
Will you really be okay alone?
Both Ms. Bom and I will be going to Seoul.
Ms. Bom?
Her term as an exchange teacher ends soon.
Is it time already?
Then I should start preparing myself.
The meat is so good.
I wonder if Ms. Bom's okay.
Geez, woman, stop worrying about her and try this meat.
Forget it. I'm leaving.
What? Why would you leave in the middle of eating?
Does it not suit your taste?
Or did I make a mistake?
I swear, I'll sew your mouth shut.
Why?
Just call me Ms. Seo instead.
Who'd want to be called "woman" at a nice restaurant on a Saturday?
Geez, so that was the problem.
All right, fine. I got it.
If I called you "old man," would you like it?
If I don't call you "woman,"
what should I call you?
-Hey, you. -"Hey, you"?
-Look. -"Look"?
Hey.
Forget it. What did I expect?
-I'm off. -Don't go.
Hye…
Hye-suk.
I like that.
Let's sit.
Hye-suk, sit.
Don't do that. Just sit.
COURAGE TO BE HATED
I think I now know why you're so mad.
Se-jin, you can hate me.
Hate me all you want until you don't feel angry anymore.
And when the hatred is gone,
I want you to come back.
All right.
Ta-da.
This is spicy sauce.
This is kkakdugi.
And this is beef brisket soup.
Why did you bring so many?
Well, I was going to teach you how to cook,
but I think you have no talent for it.
These days, deliveries take just a day, so why bother?
All right.
It's good.
This is what I'm talking about.
But why the sudden side dish delivery?
You know, you're going back to Seoul soon.
It's already time.
Right now, if you call me, I can run over in ten minutes.
But when you're in Seoul, I can't.
So, before you leave,
I'm going to teach you everything you need one by one.
So I can be prepared for us to be separated?
Come on.
The diameter of the Earth is about 13,000 km.
But we're within just 400 km.
We won't be "separated."
We will be still "connected."
We may be far from each other,
but my heart will be there wherever you are.
So don't cry when you're out of side dishes.
Don't starve, and call me anytime.
Then I'll send nutrient-balanced side dishes to your place right away.
It has so much meat.
-I'll boil it for you. -Okay.
Now, seat belt on.
What am I preparing for?
If you say you miss me,
I can throw everything aside and run to you.
But some days, you might miss me out of the blue.
You should know how to drive for that.
I understand your intention,
but I haven't had an accident in ten years.
That's because you haven't driven in ten years.
All right, turn the left blinker on.
No. Here.
Now, put it into drive.
Gently step on the accelerator.
Was it the right one or the left one?
I'm sorry, but let's just cancel this project.
Come on, I was kidding.
Did you really think I didn't know?
-It's the left one, right? -The right one!
No, the left one! The brake!
-The right one. -The brake!
-The right one. -The left one!
-I'm not doing this! -Don't you know left?
-Left… -No, the right one!
Ms. Bom.
What? What's going on?
Weren't we going to practice driving?
Well, I don't think that's good for either of us.
So, how about we do something else starting today?
Come to think of it, we haven't taken many photos together.
So I thought it'd be nice to record our fond memories together with pictures.
Then, wherever we are, we'll feel like we're together.
I'd love that.
Right. I know where to go first.
Where?
Just follow me. Okay?
They look beautiful.
It looks good.
Thank you.
-Now, look at the camera. -Camera.
One, two, three.
-Team White, let's go! -Let's go!
BOM-SIK'S HOUSE
Looking good!
Now, prepare to choke.
Ready.
Look there.
If you did your best this time, you must be first place.
But it's okay if I lose now.
Because I gave it my all,
and if it wasn't enough, then I should accept that.
I won't hate you or myself.
I won't either.
I won't hate myself if I win, and I won't hate you if I lose.
All right.
-Ladies first. I'll open mine first. -Okay.
REPORT CARD
What?
First place for everything?
Did you mark number three for every question again?
You really did that again.
Otherwise, why am I in first place?
Second place?
You did your best this time, didn't you?
I want to go to college now, and…
Choi Se-jin, you…
Don't contact me for a while.
What? You said you wouldn't hate me for it.
You said it yourself.
I'm going to focus on my studies now.
-Get out of my way. -What?
You really are angry. Are you, babe?
-Hey. -Hello, ma'am.
-Move. -Hey, you can do it too.
Should I solve the questions for you?
Wow, it's finished.
It's so pretty.
You're really leaving tomorrow.
Gosh, I am.
Don't overwork at the new school.
-I won't. -Take medicine if you feel unwell.
Okay.
You remember the skills?
If anyone harasses you, don't be scared.
Just take them down and--
Tomorrow, we'll be 400 km apart. Are you going to just talk?
Is there anything else to do?
Anything else? Like what?
Well…
For instance…
What you're doing right now, it's very dangerous.
It's our last night, so why not…
be a little dangerous?
Then I'll do…
something dangerous starting now.
Let's go!
1 YEAR LATER
SEOUL MYEONGSEONG HIGH SCHOOL
HAPPINESS
Happiness.
If you're asked why you want to be happy,
how can you answer?
Aristotle said,
"The ultimate aim of all human actions is happiness."
Unlike Plato who advocated for an ideal world,
Aristotle focused on the real world we live in.
Let's go to page 62 of Ethics and Thoughts.
-My college friend at Munseong High... -Yes.
...said that she had an affair there.
-Affair? -Yes.
She's Jeong Nan-hee's daughter?
I knew it.
Ms. Bom.
Hi. How did it go?
This is the ruling.
Read it yourself.
COURT OF KOREA
PARTIES' CLAIMS AND FINDINGS
DAMAGES FOR MENTAL DISTRESS
KIM HYEON-JU IS LIABLE TO COMPENSATE FOR THE ASSAULT
You have done well all this time.
What is this?
It's the ruling for the adultery case you mentioned.
I'd like you to know that I was being stalked
and spread the word.
Right, and you also talked about me being Jeong Nan-hee's daughter.
That one is true.
And that's the secret to my beauty.
Well, then. Have a nice day.
The guest for today's "Meet the Successful Professional"
was selected by the students' vote.
It is also the person who donated a scholarship fund to our school
to cultivate local talent.
The one that an overwhelming majority voted for!
The CEO of JQ Energy,
Sun Jae-gyu!
Hello.
I'm the CEO of JQ Energy,
but I'm better known as Sun Han-gyul's uncle.
I'm Sun Jae-gyu.
What? Han-gyul's uncle is... that guy?
Right, you were away as an exchange teacher.
God, look at how he's dressed.
Is he really the CEO?
He looks like a thug that hangs around the market.
That's what we also thought at first.
But I heard a rumor that he goes around lifting cars.
That's right.
He always sets an example in the neighborhood.
According to rumors, he also shovels in the mountains at night.
He cares about every life.
That's right.
When the typhoon hit, he took care of everyone.
Right, Hye-suk?
That's right.
What's going on? Why are you all defending him?
You just wait and see.
You'll see what we're talking about.
But why isn't he saying anything?
Goodness.
First of all, to the students and teachers who invited me here,
I'm truly grateful.
Now, let's begin the lecture.
JQ Energy is not just a company that produces electricity.
It's a company that reads trends and designs the future.
And today,
we'll talk about how the energy industry is changing in this AI era,
especially what kind of role renewable energy plays in the change.
BOM BOM BOM
By the way, Mr. Choi,
are you really not moving your office?
Right.
Why are you still there? There's nothing there.
What do you mean, nothing?
The most important thing is there.
What's there?
Well…
A friend?
JAE-GYU
-Mr. Sun! -Ms. Bom!
I couldn't answer your calls because of the lecture.
It's so noisy here, so I…
It's Ms. Bom!
Han-gyul's uncle
donated a scholarship fund to our school, so I'm treating him!
Goodness.
Being here brings back memories.
Anyway, why did you call so many times?
Did you miss me that much?
I got the ruling today.
I wanted to tell you I won.
Really?
See? What did I tell you?
I-jun can be a jerk sometimes, but he's a good lawyer.
He was a great student.
Who are you calling a jerk, punk?
-Did you hear that? -Yes, I did.
Geez, what are you doing here?
Hang up already and come drink with me.
Leaving bad blood between us behind
There was no bad blood. Let me talk to her more.
Goodness.
-Ms. Bom. -Mr. Hong, how have you been?
Mr. Sun is pretty drunk.
Call him some other time.
-Let's go. -Wait. Ms. Bom.
You drive me crazy!
-Sun Jae-gyu. -My shoes…
You've settled in my heart!
No, Mr. Hong. Hold on.
Hello? Mr. Sun! Jae-gyu!
Stop it.
-Stop. -No, Mom. Hold on.
Yes. We should make a toast too.
All right.
Congratulations on Yoon Bom's win.
-Congratulations. -Congratulations.
-Congratulations! -Thank you!
I've sold the land, and the paperwork's all done.
Then what is it?
I wanted to pay for Han-gyul's tuition.
I don't know if he's quick-witted
or if he's matured early,
but he's never contacted me since then.
I can pay for his tuition too, so do something I can't do for him.
Like what?
A picture.
Whenever he started school,
it was always just me and him at the entrance ceremony.
He didn't say it,
but I could see it in his eyes.
He envied his friends who were taking photos
with their moms, dads, and other family members.
Let's do that at his college entrance ceremony.
Let's get him flowers and take pictures with him.
For Han-gyul,
I'm sure that's the best present.
Gosh, I miss him so much!
If one day, out of the blue,
you ever find yourself really missing me, open it then.
How much do I miss him now?
Beep, beep. It's 100%.
Then I should open it.
Yes, Bom. Let's open it.
I've gained some weight. What if it doesn't fit?
No.
Sun Jae-gyu is not someone that predictable.
So I'm sure it's not a ring.
But it'll be
something sparkly and shiny that'll make me…
Hey, Sun Jae-gyu!
He thinks this is a gift?
I've been holding myself from opening it for this?
Darn it.
Geez, Ms. Bom.
Ms. Bom…
This darn lawyer…
I thought it was her, darn it.
Gosh, my head.
For crying out loud!
What the...
Goodness, my head.
You threw me off again?
How many times is this?
You barge in with some pork belly and sleep here whenever you want.
When did I say it was okay for you to sleep here?
You ungrateful bastard.
You got a place to live and raised Han-gyul with my money.
And you can't do this for me?
Goodness. I think I've done enough, so leave.
I have to go out.
Gosh, I'm so sick of this.
Why can't you just stay home? Where are you going?
Jae-gyu.
Sun Jae-gyu, where are you going?
Ms. Bom, when did you get here?
What…
Why are you coming from there?
-Where's Sun Jae-gyu? -Jae-gyu?
Well, I bet he's having the hardest time in his life.
Now, the panel consists of P-type and N-type semiconductors,
and electrons and holes in the photoelectric effect
diffuse towards each other in a p-n junction.
It causes a potential difference, and if an external circuit
-is connected… -Mr. Gu.
It's…
Director Gu. What?
I don't understand anything you say.
Can you translate it into Korean?
You've been working part-time for a while. You still don't understand?
How are you going to get a job here like this?
Sun Han-gyul, the crown prince of JQ Energy,
is abandoning the company to go to college.
Who will fill the gap except for us?
Gosh, you guys are also poor in character, not just in skill.
This is why I told the boss not to hire you so many times.
Forget it. Just move that one. Go!
Am I seeing things because I'm exhausted?
Isn't that Ms. Bom?
-Ms. Bom! -Ms. Bom!
Guys!
Dae-han and Min-guk, you're really working part-time here?
Ms. Yoon.
-Hello. -Hello.
You did such a good job.
While teaching these two how to work here,
I realized how hard it must've been for you.
By the way, what brings you here?
Right. I came to see Mr. Sun.
Uncle… No, Mr. Sun went out to go to the market earlier.
-Oh, really? -Yes.
Then why won't he pick up?
Oh, right.
He left his phone here.
If you see him, give it to him.
Okay.
Once the entrance ceremony is over,
we'll go to the salt bread bakery and wait in line,
then take pictures at Seoul Forest
and move to the cart bar street in Eulmi-ro in the evening.
We'll have beer with fish cake soup.
Hey, what kind of date is so tightly scheduled?
We'll attend the same lectures in the same college. We'll meet every day.
Since we'll see each other every day, let's take it slow.
Let's go to Hangang Park again
and go to see Ms. Bom too.
Gosh, where is he?
Hey, we can see Ms. Bom right now.
Ms. Bom.
Guys!
You've gotten so pretty.
-How have you been? -Good.
We were just talking about how we'd go see you in Seoul.
Really? When is your entrance ceremony again?
-Can I go there? -Of course.
This entrance ceremony will be crowded.
Anyway, what brought you down here?
To see Han-gyul's uncle?
Right, I heard your uncle was here.
He was, but he just went to the dojo with the jiu jitsu people.
What?
Hye-suk, next week, let's…
No.
Except for the way you address me, nothing's changed.
Seafood stew, gamja-tang, sundae-guk and naengmyeon.
How can you eat Korean food all the time?
That's why we'll go to a hotel…
A hotel?
Don't get the wrong idea.
I got a family room so that we can bring the twins too.
The twins can't go.
Why not?
Don't ask.
Whether it's a family room or a honeymoon room,
I'll go.
People are watching.
Ms. Bom!
-Oh, attention! Hello, ma'am! -Hello, ma'am!
Hello.
How have you been?
Hey, Ms. Bom.
Oh, Ms. Seo!
Ms. Bom, I'm a blue belt now.
Oh, really? Congrats, Dong-pyo!
What? Mr. Hong?
Hi, Ms. Bom.
Oh, you work out here too?
Geez, what's the point, though?
He's not getting better at all.
You can't even do an armbar. How will you win the sports festival?
I'm just pretending. I'm hiding the skill for the day.
Besides, at the next festival,
there won't be Sun Jae-gyu since Han-gyul 's graduated.
So I stand a chance.
I'm sorry,
but where is the Sun Jae-gyu you're talking about?
I've been looking for him,
and I'm getting tired.
Oh, if you go to the beach, you'll definitely meet him.
Where you had your first date.
Mr. Sun?
You're here, Ms. Bom?
Why do you look so handsome…
I mean, why do you look like a model…
I mean, why are you going around so much?
And what's with the suit? Is today a special day?
Any day, any moment,
I thought you might come see me, so I've been wearing this all the time.
What?
30 MINUTES AGO
Are you cuddling or what? Do it properly. Like this!
Master, my phone's ringing.
-Your phone? Go take it. -Yes.
Come on.
Pull it.
Hello?
What? Ms. Bom is here?
What did you say?
Ms. Bom is here?
She's looking everywhere for you right now.
Han-gyul told her you were here, so she's on the way.
Here?
But he said she looked furious.
She looked like she'd confront you.
I wonder what's wrong.
Why would she…
Oh, right.
Hey, I think I know why.
She's on the way. Where are you going?
To the beach.
-The beach? -Listen, when she comes,
tell her to come to the beach where we had our first date.
Tell her to take her time.
I'm leaving. Good luck!
Work hard!
-Good luck! -Good luck!
You think I'll be fooled again?
Fooled? I…
You told me not to wear this around other women,
so I didn't even wear it at the lecture. I've been saving it.
Then what on earth is this?
I thought it might be something expensive or romantic,
so I didn't let Bom-sik touch it.
I even risked my life for it during the typhoon.
Whenever I missed you, I thought of opening it.
I hesitated and hesitated, and I finally opened it.
All that waiting and missing you was for this gas-station giveaway gift?
Is this funny to you?
Gosh, just as I expected.
I knew you'd come see me all furious once you opened it.
What?
Ms. Bom.
That arm sleeve is not just a free gift.
To me,
it's more special than anything.
Before I met you,
I always tried to cover this scar.
I didn't have the courage to look at it, so I always covered it with that sleeve.
But after I met you,
for the first time, I felt like I didn't have to hide it.
I couldn't do it on my own. You helped me overcome it.
If that's the case, I'll keep it safe for you.
What? What are you doing?
Goodness. It's been so hard carrying this in my pocket every day.
I've been carrying this in my pocket
for the day you'd come see me like this.
And that day has finally come.
My heart was as cold as winter,
and you came to me like warm spring, my lovely Bom.
Whether it's cold or hot,
I'll be your man who is always there for you.
If that arm sleeve is a symbol of our memories,
this ring will be a symbol of our future together…
What?
I didn't even say half of my line.
Whatever you say,
my answer is yes.
We should get married in spring.
And have three kids.
The snack bar lady said sons are no good.
Then three daughters?
Should we get our first home in Seoul or here?
Wherever it is and whenever it is,
the one beside me...
will be you.
BOM LOVES JAE-GYU
Translated by Wayne Ryu