Pachinko (2022) s01e02 Episode Script
Chapter Two
1
- [WAVES CRASHING.]
- [METAL CLANKING.]
[MACHINE HISSES.]
[PASSENGER 1.]
His name is Koh Hansu.
And they say he got a lot of blood on his hands.
He does the dirty work for a very powerful man in Japan.
To hear such things, it makes you wonder, is he still one of us? Or is he one of them now? [PASSENGER 2.]
Who can say? He has fair prices, that's all I know.
He doesn't hassle people, and he doesn't tolerate idiots.
The woman who cooks for him here told me he never wears the same shirt twice.
He uses it once and throws it out.
Can you imagine? Who does he think he is? [FEMALE PASSENGER 2.]
He knows the order of things.
He has come to pay his respects to my father twice.
They have become quite fond of one another.
[FEMALE PASSENGER 1.]
But, Jiyun, will he return to Osaka or will he be settling here for good? It's possible that with a home of his own here he might settle here.
I think he will.
[FERRY HORN BLOWS.]
[PEOPLE IN HARBOR CHATTERING.]
[FISHERMAN.]
Keep quiet! But Father.
A forearm.
That's the rule.
Shh.
The length of my forearm! Do you think I'd set my prices by the arm of a dumb child? [FISHERMAN.]
Sir, please.
You stay out of this.
Your boy must own his disrespect.
But if you want, I can stretch out your arm.
[BUYER.]
I'll buy these.
Five yen for 20 croakers.
Take this.
For my gratitude.
Put it away.
[WHISTLE BLOWS.]
[JIYUN.]
Mr.
Koh Hansu! [JIYUN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY.]
[NO AUDIBLE DIALOGUE.]
["LET'S LIVE FOR TODAY" PLAYS.]
[SONG CONTINUES.]
[SONG SPEEDS UP.]
[SONG CONTINUES, REGULAR SPEED.]
[SONG FADES, ENDS.]
["I DON'T KNOW" PLAYING.]
[WEDDING GUESTS APPLAUDING.]
[MC, IN JAPANESE.]
Is everyone enjoying yourselves? I just saw our bride and groom's parents.
Now I know where our couple gets their good looks from! [SOLOMON.]
So everyone wants to see me fail.
[CHUCKLES.]
That's not true.
Don't always think the worst of us.
I'll try.
This country has changed since you've been in America.
Too many people making too much money too quickly.
People who seem to barely exist a few years ago.
Maybe those people are what this country needs.
Like the son of a pachinko man? It's a joke! You and I are old friends.
I just remembered something you said when we were kids.
What was that? You said your father told you that Koreans must've been raised by dogs.
Why else would we shove our faces into our bowls instead of picking them up like you? Did I really say such a terrible thing? You did.
We were kids then.
I'm sure I heard my father wrong.
Anyway, it was smart of you guys to partner Colton with Abe.
He's the best developer here.
He has the right pull.
Certainly, with half the Ministry of Finance at his daughter's wedding.
That helps.
True, there are many of us here.
But not to worry.
With a tie like that, you blend right in.
Let me guess.
Armani.
[WHISTLES.]
Hermès.
See, you have done well.
It'll be interesting to see what Abe makes of you.
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY.]
Dancing, dancing more [CROWD APPLAUDS.]
- [MUSIC CONTINUES.]
- [CROWD APPLAUDS.]
[PHOTOGRAPHER IN JAPANESE.]
One, two, three, say cheese! Closer, please.
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY.]
You were young when you left, isn't that so? I was 14.
[COWORKER.]
Mmm.
I heard you were in the States as well.
Yes, Cambridge.
Ah, Harvard.
Business school.
And how was Harvard Business School? into the American mindset.
In what way? Americans love games.
- Everything becomes one.
- [CHUCKLES.]
So whenever I met anyone, men mostly, they wanted to play the guessing game.
- "Which Asian am I?" - A classic.
It's always Chinese first.
- [TOM CHUCKLES.]
- Hmm.
Japanese is usually second.
Only two countries to get through.
I was lucky if Korea made the top four.
If I wasn't in the mood, I'd just nod at Japan.
It's not entirely inaccurate though.
No.
Not inaccurate.
- [ABE, IN JAPANESE.]
Tom! - Mr Abe! Your son-in-law has the face of a good provider.
You're lucky! For my daughter's sake, I hope so.
Let me introduce to you the newest member of the team.
This is Mr Baek from our New York office.
Thank you for having me.
It is an honor.
What is your blood type? I am type O.
I see.
An optimist then.
In this world, a survival instinct.
Let's see how it serves you then.
Please enjoy the party.
[SPEAKS JAPANESE.]
[SOLOMON SIGHS.]
was that all about? Uh.
[CHUCKLES.]
I think he's worried about my loyalties.
Yeah.
The whole Koreans versus Japanese situation.
Why can't people just get over that? It's the past.
It's done.
Well, you can reassure Abe-san that he doesn't need to worry about me.
My loyalties are to Shiffley's, and that's because they pay me.
[PEOPLE ON TV LAUGHING.]
[MEOWS.]
[CONVERSATION IN KOREAN, LAUGHING CONTINUES.]
Kyunghee, wake up.
Sister-in-law, supper time.
[GROANS.]
Where is Solomon? Tokyo, remember? Working on that big deal.
Sunja.
We always knew, didn't we? That he would be the one to make it.
- He's really a good kid, you know.
- [KYUNGHEE GROANS.]
Now let's eat.
[KYUNGHEE SIGHS.]
Aren't you sick of nursing me? What kind of talk is this? [PEOPLE ON TV LAUGHING.]
Look what I made you, Kyunghee.
[GROANS.]
Can't take your medicine on an empty stomach.
Huh? Enough of this, come on now.
Sunja, I don't want the medicine.
What do you mean? You understood what the doctor said.
What you need to do now is fight.
Haven't we been fighting long enough now? Stop this.
you're being absurd.
How did this happen? How did all that time just go by so quickly? You still have years in you.
Please, don't tell me that now.
You used to say things to me as they were.
No matter how painful or difficult, you spoke the truth.
[PEOPLE ON TV LAUGHING.]
Now I see all of those faces again, I see them in my dreams.
All of those we tried so hard to forget.
Maybe it's because I'm at the end, but I want to be able to remember them all.
All of their names and all of their faces.
If only I could go back one last time.
[BREATHING SHAKILY.]
But, Sunja, tell me truthfully.
That man, do you really never think of him anymore, or ever wonder how your life might have turned out if only you had chosen differently? [WAVES CRASHING.]
[PEOPLE IN HARBOR CHATTERING.]
You're a fool, you know that? I could throw you all into the ocean.
Sir, he did nothing wrong.
He didn't sell this to me.
I saw it with my own eyes.
I had some extra tangerines.
We traded.
See? I didn't take any money from her! Don't blame him.
He didn't do anything wrong.
Tell me.
Why don't we sell the smaller fish? If we catch them before they spawn, we'll always be at a deficit.
Fighting one another for scraps and never having enough.
But really, aren't we already doing that now? Just go.
[WHISTLE BLOWS.]
Sunja, what took you so long? We've been worried.
Why? Did something happen, Donghee? No.
Just Mrs.
Kim.
This time it's actually true.
Mr.
Rhee saw it with his own eyes.
Have you gossiped enough yet? Now maybe you can actually get some work done.
It's not like I'm slacking off on purpose [MUMBLES, IMITATING DONGHEE.]
Mrs.
Kim filled her head with stories about the Japanese kids in town throwing feces and mud on any Korean women still daring to wear white.
I didn't see anything like that.
You know how much that woman talks.
But Sunja, to be safe, I don't want you going by yourself.
Maybe take Donghee or Bokhee with you? Oh, listen to you.
I've been going on my own since I was nine.
- Even so - We have way too much work to do here.
You hired Bokhee and Donghee to help you out.
Mrs.
Kim is just a crazy gossiping woman who likes to make up all kinds of stories.
Listen to that mouth.
That's gonna get you into trouble.
Apparently, according to Mrs.
Kim, the new district fish broker is very handsome.
Sunja, have you seen the guy? [SUNJA.]
I don't get all this! That man's not worth bothering about.
Fucking pain in my ass.
Crews are already tearing apart the land around 'em.
Abe-san's pressuring me.
And the 43rd floor call every day demanding to know when she's gonna sell.
We've made three generous offers above market value.
Our first offer was for 295 million yen Thank you, I've read the briefs.
- Hen Gunge.
- Han Geumja.
She emigrated to Japan from Korea in 1929.
Her family settled in Tokyo soon after the war.
She was the breadwinner, ran a laundry business.
And in 1955, the family purchased the plot of land for 4,000 yen.
Can't even get a meal these days for that.
It's not about the money.
Not for her.
Of course it's about money, Naomi.
It's always Would you just explain? Since you're up to speed on this and don't need my help, I'll return to work.
[FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
It's complicated.
- I see that.
- Yeah.
Just focus on the deal.
Make it happen.
I intend to.
[REPORTER, IN JAPANESE.]
A crowd of 200,000 people has braved the weather to attend the funeral of the Emperor.
[TV REPORT CONTINUES.]
You yelled at me once.
- My first year.
- Did you deserve it? Yeah, I deserved it.
Good on you to admit it.
We looked up to you, the guys in my year.
That's the past tense I hear.
That's not what I meant.
Yeah, it's fine.
I know how that talk goes.
Who closed the biggest deal? Who's getting bumped to the 43rd floor? I admit, I used to do a lot of that talk myself.
That's the past tense I hear.
You wanna know how I got here? What the fuck happened? Yeah.
I am curious.
I got married.
Popped out two kids.
A place in the city and in the country.
Before I knew it, the number of zeros on my check no longer felt like some game.
It felt like fucking survival.
[SCOFFS.]
So [SIGHS.]
I made a few bad calls.
Numbers start slipping, got anxious, made more bad calls.
Meanwhile, my wife, Princeton degree, never worked a day in her life, she starts complaining that I'm never home.
Or when I am, I'm not really there.
- [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS.]
- [DOORS OPEN.]
[TOM SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
So one morning, I'm getting in my car to drive the 49 minutes to work, popping Visine in my eyes, she drops the news that she's leaving me.
[INHALES DEEPLY.]
I tell her we'll talk about it, she says there's nothing to talk about.
I ask her how could she throw away ten years of marriage.
And she asks me how I didn't notice that she went from being a brunette to a blonde.
[CHUCKLES.]
Yeah, my marriage got fucked.
Then my career.
And so, here I am.
[EMPLOYEES SPEAKING JAPANESE.]
[TOM.]
So Godzilla or Superman? Land of the Rising Sun gonna topple Home of the Brave and Free? To be honest, the question doesn't interest me.
Are you fucking with me? It's your pay grade, Solomon.
You have the Japanese buying dollars and the US taking deutsche marks and Germans hoarding sterling and so on.
All it amounts to is money moving so fast that currencies become almost irrelevant.
- Tell that to the currency floor.
- Countries become irrelevant.
What are you talking about? All that matters, really, is that your own tally defies gravity.
So is that why you're here? To defy gravity? - [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS.]
- [DOORS OPEN.]
[TECHNICIAN, IN JAPANESE.]
You do this with all the machines? Not me.
Not anymore.
We have a guy who comes in at night.
But is this right? I asked the same thing when Mr Goto pulled the veil off my eyes.
I was also your age.
Adjusting the nails.
Everyone does it.
And you can't be the fool left out.
Most people think if they can flick the handle just right, they will win.
But they have no control over the outcome.
Not really.
And neither do we.
Adjusting the nails doesn't fix the odds.
We don't do that.
We just give them a nudge.
That's all this is.
But "don't be greedy," that's what Goto always said.
When they lose, feel their heartache.
When they win, feel their joy.
Let's see how you did.
["THE FUTURE, THE PAST, AND FOREVER AFTER" PLAYS.]
Welcome! [MACHINE BALLS CLATTERING.]
Mr Bando, I have the loan documents.
I have to attend to this.
Please check all the numbers.
400 million yen.
That looks right.
I will get this over to the bank right away.
Do you expect any problems with the loan? Not at all.
You can start building the property in a few weeks.
Congratulations.
Thank you so much.
[CHUCKLES.]
this tiny piece of shit land here.
One billion.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
Are you fucking kidding? She's turned down three offers.
Enough foreplay.
Give her an offer she can't possibly turn down.
[CHUCKLES.]
Five years ago, the rainmaker in you wouldn't even have hesitated.
You know it's true.
[CHUCKLES.]
Yeah.
Fine.
Fine, yeah.
Wait.
Aren't we going to talk to her? Yeah, but I'm not going in there with you.
[SCOFFS, CHUCKLES.]
Sunja.
Sunja! Hi, ma'am, I don't have enough money today.
Here you go.
This is a gift from him.
From who? From the new district fish broker.
You know, the one the girls are all swooning over.
I was surprised too.
I don't know about Japan, but to do that here, it's just so shameless.
- And to a good girl like you.
- Ma'am, be careful with your words.
I don't know this man.
He's nothing to me.
I can't accept this.
[TEENAGER 1, IN JAPANESE.]
I'd do anything to get back to Tokyo and see a game.
[TEENAGER 2.]
There's this amazing player, as good as Babe Ruth! I've never heard of a player like that.
Because you don't know anything.
Hey.
Where are you off to? Looks like a heavy load.
You're cute.
Why don't I help you with that? Sorry, I don't understand.
I have to catch my ferry.
[IN JAPANESE.]
Listen to that.
Even their language sounds repulsive.
What's in those bags? My mother will be worried.
I have to go.
Stop that! [IN JAPANESE.]
Now I get it.
You all smell because you eat this shit.
Even our dogs wouldn't eat this stuff! Who wants to make a bet? These or hers? Which one's bigger? [CHUCKLES.]
Let's see.
What? Stop! - Hey, what are you doing? - Let her go! Stop! No! Please! [SUNJA SCREAMING.]
[SUNJA SCREAMING.]
[IN JAPANESE.]
Someone help! Help! [GRUNTS.]
[IN KOREAN.]
Stop it! Please! Please, no! Let go of me! Stop! Get off me! Stop now! [GRUNTS.]
[THUDS.]
[HANSU, IN JAPANESE.]
You punks.
You wanna die? - But if you were both to die here - [GRUNTS.]
no one would mourn for you.
- [GRUNTS.]
- [HANSU.]
Be quick.
Apologize.
- Or you know what happens.
- [GRUNTS, COUGHS.]
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
[HANSU.]
Lower.
[TEENAGER 1.]
Please forgive us.
[BREATHES HEAVILY, COUGHS.]
We are worthless trash! [TEENAGER 2.]
Let us go home, please.
We are sorry! [COUGHS.]
If you're not satisfied, I'll make them grovel until you are.
- [IN JAPANESE.]
Get out.
- [TEENAGERS GROAN.]
[FOOTSTEPS DEPART HASTILY.]
[HANSU.]
They won't bother you again.
[SUNJA.]
What exactly did you say to those boys? [HANSU.]
That if they bother you again, I'll kill them and feed their bodies to the dogs.
I say it to put your mind at ease.
I'd forgotten how beautiful this country is, how resilient, and how strong.
How long have you been gone? Fourteen years.
I've been there almost longer than here.
[FERRY HORN BLOWS.]
Don't worry, I won't harm you.
Will you throw this shirt away? Why would I do that? You're kind of an odd girl.
Well, it wasn't me who was talking about feeding people to dogs.
You can bring it to the cove tomorrow.
I'll wash it before lunch.
[FERRY HORN BLOWS.]
[ENGINE HISSES.]
Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but I was hoping we could talk.
What are you selling? Actually, I'm buying.
- [LAUGHS.]
- [CHUCKLES.]
I guess those crooks must be desperate.
Where'd they go to find one of you? I'm the one who went to them.
Why would you do that? You're persistent, I'll give you that.
This is for you.
[GRUNTS.]
[CHUCKLES.]
They're grown in that shape.
I'm sorry? Apparently, they taste awful.
But they cost 9,000 yen.
Nine thousand yen! You must be crazy.
[GRUNTS.]
Ma'am? Erm In 1955, you bought this land for a total of 4,000 yen.
That's less than half the price of this melon.
If you agree to sell, we'll give you one billion yen.
You speak Korean very well, that is for a young person.
I lost some after I went to America.
You are better than my kids.
My husband died a few years back.
[SIGHS.]
He didn't want them to learn that tongue.
And now my own kids don't even know the language in which their mother dreams.
That must make you sad.
Who taught Korean to you? My grandmother taught me.
My mother died when I was young.
My father worked long hours.
My grandmother raised me.
[SIGHS.]
I suppose she had a hard life too.
[CHUCKLES.]
Mmm.
In order to feed her family, she worked day and night, pushing her cart, selling kimchi.
- Her hands were burned - Enough of all that.
What family hasn't suffered? Tell me something.
When the old speak like this, isn't it tiresome? But isn't that precisely the point? To burden us with the past? Think of your children.
Take the offer.
Ever been to school? Can you read and write? My father fought for me to go, but my mother saw no point in it.
That's a shame.
With the right skills, you could've actually left this place.
Why would I want that? This is my birthplace, the home of my parents.
And is that the life for you? I didn't think my words would offend you.
I know that I'm poor and ignorant.
I'll never possess the fine things you and Jiyun own, but that gives you no right to laugh at me.
I won't allow it.
I shouldn't be here.
Oh, come on.
I'm just asking if you have dreams.
I was as poor as you once.
Poorer, even, believe it or not.
Although, even then, I had my dreams.
And I didn't let anyone take them from me [SIGHS.]
[ROCK SCRAPES.]
We're here in Yeongdo.
[ROCK SCRAPES.]
This is Japan.
Osaka here.
That's where I live.
There's nothing you can't get there.
Sweet oranges from the Americas.
Bananas from Taiwan.
Beautiful candies from France.
Almost every house has electricity.
And plug-in heaters to keep warm in winter.
Electric trains take you all over the city.
And then at night, all the lights flash on, casting incredible reflections.
It's a marvel, really.
So imagine if Osaka has all of that, what does the rest of the world offer? [ROCK SCRAPES.]
Manchuria.
[SCRAPING.]
China.
Europe.
And halfway around the world America.
I went there once.
How was it there? Tell me what you see.
You say this is Japan? And this is us? Interesting.
[CHUCKLES.]
What is? I guess I always imagined them to be so much bigger than us.
Like a huge mouth ready to swallow.
So what does this tell you? That doesn't have to be our fate.
I believe we can beat them.
Sunja, I'd like to come back.
While you're doing laundry.
Can I do that? Mmm.
[CHUCKLES.]
- [PEOPLE ON TV SPEAKING AND LAUGHING.]
- [KYUNGHEE CHUCKLING.]
[CHUCKLING.]
They tasted a bit different today.
- They were bitter.
- [INHALES SHARPLY.]
The other day you mentioned Jiyun.
Why? I shouldn't have.
It's not right to blame her for what I don't have.
Why wouldn't you? She didn't earn any of it herself.
But Jiyun and her kind are in for a harsh awakening.
Why? Her father owes tax money on his estate.
So any time now they'll take his land.
No one deserves to have what is theirs taken away.
You sound as foolish as the rest.
Don't you have any loyalty? I don't.
Neither should you.
People are rotten everywhere you go.
Well then why are you here if Japan is your home now? When I was young, I left empty-handed.
I wanted to return now that I'm successful and see if the shadow I left behind was still here waiting for me.
I realize that's foolish.
So is it still here, that shadow? What are you doing? When I was a boy, my father and I each owned just one suit of clothes.
Every night, I did the wash and hung them out overnight.
We put them on still damp in the morning.
One time, I got the brilliant idea to put them near the fire to speed up the drying.
I turned my attention to cooking supper.
I can still see it.
You have to keep stirring the barley so the pot won't burn.
Stirring it, I smelled something.
When I ran outside, I found a hole this big in the sleeve of my father's suit.
Burned right through.
[CHUCKLES.]
He was real angry that night.
[SIGHS.]
So where is your father now? He's gone now.
Long forgotten.
[DONGHEE.]
How is there so much rain in the world? And why fall on Yeongdo? Why not Seoul? Or Japan? Huh? Or China? [PARENT.]
Sunja! Come here and help us.
What's gotten into you? [DETECTIVE, IN JAPANESE.]
Your daughter does not want to be found, otherwise I would have something for you.
So, nothing then? [WHIMPERS.]
But there has to be something.
Anything! Nothing of use to you.
[ETSUKO.]
So she just disappeared and that's it? Etsuko, wait for me in my car.
I'll handle the payment.
I knew I shouldn't have expected anything but our money going down the drain.
- Leave it to me.
- [SIGHS.]
[ETSUKO.]
Thank you for your help.
So what do you know? [DJ ON RADIO.]
At sunset, the Emperor was buried next to his parents as per tradition.
His body lies in three coffins, along with some personal items.
- [DIAL CLICKS.]
- [BROADCAST STOPS.]
The last sign of her was eight months ago in Tokyo.
What? What is that supposed to mean? Well she was working at a soapland.
She had many clients.
[BREATHES SHAKILY.]
[WHIMPERS.]
[SOLOMON CLEARS THROAT.]
[PHONE RINGING.]
[PHONE RINGS.]
Yes? Hello? Hello? [HANA.]
So strange to hear your voice now.
Hana, is that really you? Have you really forgotten my voice? And what's with your accent? Hana, I missed you.
Quit joking around.
Bet you haven't even thought of me till now.
[SOLOMON.]
That's not true.
The only good thing about rain.
The woods will be full of mushrooms.
Now? Why not? Take a batch home for your mother to make soup.
But the laundry.
There's two of us.
It'll take half the time.
[SOLOMON, IN JAPANESE.]
How did you find my number? [HANA.]
You see, everyone underestimates me.
Even you.
Where have you been? What boring questions.
Ask me, instead, if I'm still beautiful.
Are you still beautiful? If I close my eyes, sometimes I can still see the two of us.
We were so full of hope, weren't we? [SOLOMON.]
We were children.
[HANA.]
No, that's not true.
We were wise, and we were free.
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
[SOLOMON.]
Tell me where you are, please.
[HANA.]
If I told you, you wouldn't even know how to get to me.
[SOLOMON.]
I will find you.
I'm in that darkness, Solomon.
I've been here for so long now I don't know how to find my way out.
Even you you can't find me.
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
Etsuko's been looking for you.
Don't say anything to her.
If you do, I swear, I'll never call again.
But she still dreams of you.
I'll hang up! I mean it.
[SOLOMON, FAINTLY.]
Why did you go? Why did you leave us? It wasn't my choice, you know that! I didn't want to go.
I didn't want to leave you! But it was good that you left.
You sound like such an American now.
[SIGHS.]
And that woman, the one next to you, you have a thing for her, don't you? But girls like that, I hate them.
Are you watching me now? No, not now.
I'm feeling sleepy.
Wait! I have so many things to tell you.
Things I can't tell anyone.
It's good to hear you still need me.
I feel better.
Where are you? I'll call again.
When? When I can.
[SPEAKS JAPANESE.]
Hana? Hana? [EXHALES SHARPLY.]
[SUNJA BREATHES SHAKILY.]
[HANSU BREATHES HEAVILY.]
- [METAL CLANKING.]
[MACHINE HISSES.]
[PASSENGER 1.]
His name is Koh Hansu.
And they say he got a lot of blood on his hands.
He does the dirty work for a very powerful man in Japan.
To hear such things, it makes you wonder, is he still one of us? Or is he one of them now? [PASSENGER 2.]
Who can say? He has fair prices, that's all I know.
He doesn't hassle people, and he doesn't tolerate idiots.
The woman who cooks for him here told me he never wears the same shirt twice.
He uses it once and throws it out.
Can you imagine? Who does he think he is? [FEMALE PASSENGER 2.]
He knows the order of things.
He has come to pay his respects to my father twice.
They have become quite fond of one another.
[FEMALE PASSENGER 1.]
But, Jiyun, will he return to Osaka or will he be settling here for good? It's possible that with a home of his own here he might settle here.
I think he will.
[FERRY HORN BLOWS.]
[PEOPLE IN HARBOR CHATTERING.]
[FISHERMAN.]
Keep quiet! But Father.
A forearm.
That's the rule.
Shh.
The length of my forearm! Do you think I'd set my prices by the arm of a dumb child? [FISHERMAN.]
Sir, please.
You stay out of this.
Your boy must own his disrespect.
But if you want, I can stretch out your arm.
[BUYER.]
I'll buy these.
Five yen for 20 croakers.
Take this.
For my gratitude.
Put it away.
[WHISTLE BLOWS.]
[JIYUN.]
Mr.
Koh Hansu! [JIYUN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY.]
[NO AUDIBLE DIALOGUE.]
["LET'S LIVE FOR TODAY" PLAYS.]
[SONG CONTINUES.]
[SONG SPEEDS UP.]
[SONG CONTINUES, REGULAR SPEED.]
[SONG FADES, ENDS.]
["I DON'T KNOW" PLAYING.]
[WEDDING GUESTS APPLAUDING.]
[MC, IN JAPANESE.]
Is everyone enjoying yourselves? I just saw our bride and groom's parents.
Now I know where our couple gets their good looks from! [SOLOMON.]
So everyone wants to see me fail.
[CHUCKLES.]
That's not true.
Don't always think the worst of us.
I'll try.
This country has changed since you've been in America.
Too many people making too much money too quickly.
People who seem to barely exist a few years ago.
Maybe those people are what this country needs.
Like the son of a pachinko man? It's a joke! You and I are old friends.
I just remembered something you said when we were kids.
What was that? You said your father told you that Koreans must've been raised by dogs.
Why else would we shove our faces into our bowls instead of picking them up like you? Did I really say such a terrible thing? You did.
We were kids then.
I'm sure I heard my father wrong.
Anyway, it was smart of you guys to partner Colton with Abe.
He's the best developer here.
He has the right pull.
Certainly, with half the Ministry of Finance at his daughter's wedding.
That helps.
True, there are many of us here.
But not to worry.
With a tie like that, you blend right in.
Let me guess.
Armani.
[WHISTLES.]
Hermès.
See, you have done well.
It'll be interesting to see what Abe makes of you.
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY.]
Dancing, dancing more [CROWD APPLAUDS.]
- [MUSIC CONTINUES.]
- [CROWD APPLAUDS.]
[PHOTOGRAPHER IN JAPANESE.]
One, two, three, say cheese! Closer, please.
[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY.]
You were young when you left, isn't that so? I was 14.
[COWORKER.]
Mmm.
I heard you were in the States as well.
Yes, Cambridge.
Ah, Harvard.
Business school.
And how was Harvard Business School? into the American mindset.
In what way? Americans love games.
- Everything becomes one.
- [CHUCKLES.]
So whenever I met anyone, men mostly, they wanted to play the guessing game.
- "Which Asian am I?" - A classic.
It's always Chinese first.
- [TOM CHUCKLES.]
- Hmm.
Japanese is usually second.
Only two countries to get through.
I was lucky if Korea made the top four.
If I wasn't in the mood, I'd just nod at Japan.
It's not entirely inaccurate though.
No.
Not inaccurate.
- [ABE, IN JAPANESE.]
Tom! - Mr Abe! Your son-in-law has the face of a good provider.
You're lucky! For my daughter's sake, I hope so.
Let me introduce to you the newest member of the team.
This is Mr Baek from our New York office.
Thank you for having me.
It is an honor.
What is your blood type? I am type O.
I see.
An optimist then.
In this world, a survival instinct.
Let's see how it serves you then.
Please enjoy the party.
[SPEAKS JAPANESE.]
[SOLOMON SIGHS.]
was that all about? Uh.
[CHUCKLES.]
I think he's worried about my loyalties.
Yeah.
The whole Koreans versus Japanese situation.
Why can't people just get over that? It's the past.
It's done.
Well, you can reassure Abe-san that he doesn't need to worry about me.
My loyalties are to Shiffley's, and that's because they pay me.
[PEOPLE ON TV LAUGHING.]
[MEOWS.]
[CONVERSATION IN KOREAN, LAUGHING CONTINUES.]
Kyunghee, wake up.
Sister-in-law, supper time.
[GROANS.]
Where is Solomon? Tokyo, remember? Working on that big deal.
Sunja.
We always knew, didn't we? That he would be the one to make it.
- He's really a good kid, you know.
- [KYUNGHEE GROANS.]
Now let's eat.
[KYUNGHEE SIGHS.]
Aren't you sick of nursing me? What kind of talk is this? [PEOPLE ON TV LAUGHING.]
Look what I made you, Kyunghee.
[GROANS.]
Can't take your medicine on an empty stomach.
Huh? Enough of this, come on now.
Sunja, I don't want the medicine.
What do you mean? You understood what the doctor said.
What you need to do now is fight.
Haven't we been fighting long enough now? Stop this.
you're being absurd.
How did this happen? How did all that time just go by so quickly? You still have years in you.
Please, don't tell me that now.
You used to say things to me as they were.
No matter how painful or difficult, you spoke the truth.
[PEOPLE ON TV LAUGHING.]
Now I see all of those faces again, I see them in my dreams.
All of those we tried so hard to forget.
Maybe it's because I'm at the end, but I want to be able to remember them all.
All of their names and all of their faces.
If only I could go back one last time.
[BREATHING SHAKILY.]
But, Sunja, tell me truthfully.
That man, do you really never think of him anymore, or ever wonder how your life might have turned out if only you had chosen differently? [WAVES CRASHING.]
[PEOPLE IN HARBOR CHATTERING.]
You're a fool, you know that? I could throw you all into the ocean.
Sir, he did nothing wrong.
He didn't sell this to me.
I saw it with my own eyes.
I had some extra tangerines.
We traded.
See? I didn't take any money from her! Don't blame him.
He didn't do anything wrong.
Tell me.
Why don't we sell the smaller fish? If we catch them before they spawn, we'll always be at a deficit.
Fighting one another for scraps and never having enough.
But really, aren't we already doing that now? Just go.
[WHISTLE BLOWS.]
Sunja, what took you so long? We've been worried.
Why? Did something happen, Donghee? No.
Just Mrs.
Kim.
This time it's actually true.
Mr.
Rhee saw it with his own eyes.
Have you gossiped enough yet? Now maybe you can actually get some work done.
It's not like I'm slacking off on purpose [MUMBLES, IMITATING DONGHEE.]
Mrs.
Kim filled her head with stories about the Japanese kids in town throwing feces and mud on any Korean women still daring to wear white.
I didn't see anything like that.
You know how much that woman talks.
But Sunja, to be safe, I don't want you going by yourself.
Maybe take Donghee or Bokhee with you? Oh, listen to you.
I've been going on my own since I was nine.
- Even so - We have way too much work to do here.
You hired Bokhee and Donghee to help you out.
Mrs.
Kim is just a crazy gossiping woman who likes to make up all kinds of stories.
Listen to that mouth.
That's gonna get you into trouble.
Apparently, according to Mrs.
Kim, the new district fish broker is very handsome.
Sunja, have you seen the guy? [SUNJA.]
I don't get all this! That man's not worth bothering about.
Fucking pain in my ass.
Crews are already tearing apart the land around 'em.
Abe-san's pressuring me.
And the 43rd floor call every day demanding to know when she's gonna sell.
We've made three generous offers above market value.
Our first offer was for 295 million yen Thank you, I've read the briefs.
- Hen Gunge.
- Han Geumja.
She emigrated to Japan from Korea in 1929.
Her family settled in Tokyo soon after the war.
She was the breadwinner, ran a laundry business.
And in 1955, the family purchased the plot of land for 4,000 yen.
Can't even get a meal these days for that.
It's not about the money.
Not for her.
Of course it's about money, Naomi.
It's always Would you just explain? Since you're up to speed on this and don't need my help, I'll return to work.
[FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
It's complicated.
- I see that.
- Yeah.
Just focus on the deal.
Make it happen.
I intend to.
[REPORTER, IN JAPANESE.]
A crowd of 200,000 people has braved the weather to attend the funeral of the Emperor.
[TV REPORT CONTINUES.]
You yelled at me once.
- My first year.
- Did you deserve it? Yeah, I deserved it.
Good on you to admit it.
We looked up to you, the guys in my year.
That's the past tense I hear.
That's not what I meant.
Yeah, it's fine.
I know how that talk goes.
Who closed the biggest deal? Who's getting bumped to the 43rd floor? I admit, I used to do a lot of that talk myself.
That's the past tense I hear.
You wanna know how I got here? What the fuck happened? Yeah.
I am curious.
I got married.
Popped out two kids.
A place in the city and in the country.
Before I knew it, the number of zeros on my check no longer felt like some game.
It felt like fucking survival.
[SCOFFS.]
So [SIGHS.]
I made a few bad calls.
Numbers start slipping, got anxious, made more bad calls.
Meanwhile, my wife, Princeton degree, never worked a day in her life, she starts complaining that I'm never home.
Or when I am, I'm not really there.
- [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS.]
- [DOORS OPEN.]
[TOM SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
So one morning, I'm getting in my car to drive the 49 minutes to work, popping Visine in my eyes, she drops the news that she's leaving me.
[INHALES DEEPLY.]
I tell her we'll talk about it, she says there's nothing to talk about.
I ask her how could she throw away ten years of marriage.
And she asks me how I didn't notice that she went from being a brunette to a blonde.
[CHUCKLES.]
Yeah, my marriage got fucked.
Then my career.
And so, here I am.
[EMPLOYEES SPEAKING JAPANESE.]
[TOM.]
So Godzilla or Superman? Land of the Rising Sun gonna topple Home of the Brave and Free? To be honest, the question doesn't interest me.
Are you fucking with me? It's your pay grade, Solomon.
You have the Japanese buying dollars and the US taking deutsche marks and Germans hoarding sterling and so on.
All it amounts to is money moving so fast that currencies become almost irrelevant.
- Tell that to the currency floor.
- Countries become irrelevant.
What are you talking about? All that matters, really, is that your own tally defies gravity.
So is that why you're here? To defy gravity? - [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS.]
- [DOORS OPEN.]
[TECHNICIAN, IN JAPANESE.]
You do this with all the machines? Not me.
Not anymore.
We have a guy who comes in at night.
But is this right? I asked the same thing when Mr Goto pulled the veil off my eyes.
I was also your age.
Adjusting the nails.
Everyone does it.
And you can't be the fool left out.
Most people think if they can flick the handle just right, they will win.
But they have no control over the outcome.
Not really.
And neither do we.
Adjusting the nails doesn't fix the odds.
We don't do that.
We just give them a nudge.
That's all this is.
But "don't be greedy," that's what Goto always said.
When they lose, feel their heartache.
When they win, feel their joy.
Let's see how you did.
["THE FUTURE, THE PAST, AND FOREVER AFTER" PLAYS.]
Welcome! [MACHINE BALLS CLATTERING.]
Mr Bando, I have the loan documents.
I have to attend to this.
Please check all the numbers.
400 million yen.
That looks right.
I will get this over to the bank right away.
Do you expect any problems with the loan? Not at all.
You can start building the property in a few weeks.
Congratulations.
Thank you so much.
[CHUCKLES.]
this tiny piece of shit land here.
One billion.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
Are you fucking kidding? She's turned down three offers.
Enough foreplay.
Give her an offer she can't possibly turn down.
[CHUCKLES.]
Five years ago, the rainmaker in you wouldn't even have hesitated.
You know it's true.
[CHUCKLES.]
Yeah.
Fine.
Fine, yeah.
Wait.
Aren't we going to talk to her? Yeah, but I'm not going in there with you.
[SCOFFS, CHUCKLES.]
Sunja.
Sunja! Hi, ma'am, I don't have enough money today.
Here you go.
This is a gift from him.
From who? From the new district fish broker.
You know, the one the girls are all swooning over.
I was surprised too.
I don't know about Japan, but to do that here, it's just so shameless.
- And to a good girl like you.
- Ma'am, be careful with your words.
I don't know this man.
He's nothing to me.
I can't accept this.
[TEENAGER 1, IN JAPANESE.]
I'd do anything to get back to Tokyo and see a game.
[TEENAGER 2.]
There's this amazing player, as good as Babe Ruth! I've never heard of a player like that.
Because you don't know anything.
Hey.
Where are you off to? Looks like a heavy load.
You're cute.
Why don't I help you with that? Sorry, I don't understand.
I have to catch my ferry.
[IN JAPANESE.]
Listen to that.
Even their language sounds repulsive.
What's in those bags? My mother will be worried.
I have to go.
Stop that! [IN JAPANESE.]
Now I get it.
You all smell because you eat this shit.
Even our dogs wouldn't eat this stuff! Who wants to make a bet? These or hers? Which one's bigger? [CHUCKLES.]
Let's see.
What? Stop! - Hey, what are you doing? - Let her go! Stop! No! Please! [SUNJA SCREAMING.]
[SUNJA SCREAMING.]
[IN JAPANESE.]
Someone help! Help! [GRUNTS.]
[IN KOREAN.]
Stop it! Please! Please, no! Let go of me! Stop! Get off me! Stop now! [GRUNTS.]
[THUDS.]
[HANSU, IN JAPANESE.]
You punks.
You wanna die? - But if you were both to die here - [GRUNTS.]
no one would mourn for you.
- [GRUNTS.]
- [HANSU.]
Be quick.
Apologize.
- Or you know what happens.
- [GRUNTS, COUGHS.]
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
[HANSU.]
Lower.
[TEENAGER 1.]
Please forgive us.
[BREATHES HEAVILY, COUGHS.]
We are worthless trash! [TEENAGER 2.]
Let us go home, please.
We are sorry! [COUGHS.]
If you're not satisfied, I'll make them grovel until you are.
- [IN JAPANESE.]
Get out.
- [TEENAGERS GROAN.]
[FOOTSTEPS DEPART HASTILY.]
[HANSU.]
They won't bother you again.
[SUNJA.]
What exactly did you say to those boys? [HANSU.]
That if they bother you again, I'll kill them and feed their bodies to the dogs.
I say it to put your mind at ease.
I'd forgotten how beautiful this country is, how resilient, and how strong.
How long have you been gone? Fourteen years.
I've been there almost longer than here.
[FERRY HORN BLOWS.]
Don't worry, I won't harm you.
Will you throw this shirt away? Why would I do that? You're kind of an odd girl.
Well, it wasn't me who was talking about feeding people to dogs.
You can bring it to the cove tomorrow.
I'll wash it before lunch.
[FERRY HORN BLOWS.]
[ENGINE HISSES.]
Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but I was hoping we could talk.
What are you selling? Actually, I'm buying.
- [LAUGHS.]
- [CHUCKLES.]
I guess those crooks must be desperate.
Where'd they go to find one of you? I'm the one who went to them.
Why would you do that? You're persistent, I'll give you that.
This is for you.
[GRUNTS.]
[CHUCKLES.]
They're grown in that shape.
I'm sorry? Apparently, they taste awful.
But they cost 9,000 yen.
Nine thousand yen! You must be crazy.
[GRUNTS.]
Ma'am? Erm In 1955, you bought this land for a total of 4,000 yen.
That's less than half the price of this melon.
If you agree to sell, we'll give you one billion yen.
You speak Korean very well, that is for a young person.
I lost some after I went to America.
You are better than my kids.
My husband died a few years back.
[SIGHS.]
He didn't want them to learn that tongue.
And now my own kids don't even know the language in which their mother dreams.
That must make you sad.
Who taught Korean to you? My grandmother taught me.
My mother died when I was young.
My father worked long hours.
My grandmother raised me.
[SIGHS.]
I suppose she had a hard life too.
[CHUCKLES.]
Mmm.
In order to feed her family, she worked day and night, pushing her cart, selling kimchi.
- Her hands were burned - Enough of all that.
What family hasn't suffered? Tell me something.
When the old speak like this, isn't it tiresome? But isn't that precisely the point? To burden us with the past? Think of your children.
Take the offer.
Ever been to school? Can you read and write? My father fought for me to go, but my mother saw no point in it.
That's a shame.
With the right skills, you could've actually left this place.
Why would I want that? This is my birthplace, the home of my parents.
And is that the life for you? I didn't think my words would offend you.
I know that I'm poor and ignorant.
I'll never possess the fine things you and Jiyun own, but that gives you no right to laugh at me.
I won't allow it.
I shouldn't be here.
Oh, come on.
I'm just asking if you have dreams.
I was as poor as you once.
Poorer, even, believe it or not.
Although, even then, I had my dreams.
And I didn't let anyone take them from me [SIGHS.]
[ROCK SCRAPES.]
We're here in Yeongdo.
[ROCK SCRAPES.]
This is Japan.
Osaka here.
That's where I live.
There's nothing you can't get there.
Sweet oranges from the Americas.
Bananas from Taiwan.
Beautiful candies from France.
Almost every house has electricity.
And plug-in heaters to keep warm in winter.
Electric trains take you all over the city.
And then at night, all the lights flash on, casting incredible reflections.
It's a marvel, really.
So imagine if Osaka has all of that, what does the rest of the world offer? [ROCK SCRAPES.]
Manchuria.
[SCRAPING.]
China.
Europe.
And halfway around the world America.
I went there once.
How was it there? Tell me what you see.
You say this is Japan? And this is us? Interesting.
[CHUCKLES.]
What is? I guess I always imagined them to be so much bigger than us.
Like a huge mouth ready to swallow.
So what does this tell you? That doesn't have to be our fate.
I believe we can beat them.
Sunja, I'd like to come back.
While you're doing laundry.
Can I do that? Mmm.
[CHUCKLES.]
- [PEOPLE ON TV SPEAKING AND LAUGHING.]
- [KYUNGHEE CHUCKLING.]
[CHUCKLING.]
They tasted a bit different today.
- They were bitter.
- [INHALES SHARPLY.]
The other day you mentioned Jiyun.
Why? I shouldn't have.
It's not right to blame her for what I don't have.
Why wouldn't you? She didn't earn any of it herself.
But Jiyun and her kind are in for a harsh awakening.
Why? Her father owes tax money on his estate.
So any time now they'll take his land.
No one deserves to have what is theirs taken away.
You sound as foolish as the rest.
Don't you have any loyalty? I don't.
Neither should you.
People are rotten everywhere you go.
Well then why are you here if Japan is your home now? When I was young, I left empty-handed.
I wanted to return now that I'm successful and see if the shadow I left behind was still here waiting for me.
I realize that's foolish.
So is it still here, that shadow? What are you doing? When I was a boy, my father and I each owned just one suit of clothes.
Every night, I did the wash and hung them out overnight.
We put them on still damp in the morning.
One time, I got the brilliant idea to put them near the fire to speed up the drying.
I turned my attention to cooking supper.
I can still see it.
You have to keep stirring the barley so the pot won't burn.
Stirring it, I smelled something.
When I ran outside, I found a hole this big in the sleeve of my father's suit.
Burned right through.
[CHUCKLES.]
He was real angry that night.
[SIGHS.]
So where is your father now? He's gone now.
Long forgotten.
[DONGHEE.]
How is there so much rain in the world? And why fall on Yeongdo? Why not Seoul? Or Japan? Huh? Or China? [PARENT.]
Sunja! Come here and help us.
What's gotten into you? [DETECTIVE, IN JAPANESE.]
Your daughter does not want to be found, otherwise I would have something for you.
So, nothing then? [WHIMPERS.]
But there has to be something.
Anything! Nothing of use to you.
[ETSUKO.]
So she just disappeared and that's it? Etsuko, wait for me in my car.
I'll handle the payment.
I knew I shouldn't have expected anything but our money going down the drain.
- Leave it to me.
- [SIGHS.]
[ETSUKO.]
Thank you for your help.
So what do you know? [DJ ON RADIO.]
At sunset, the Emperor was buried next to his parents as per tradition.
His body lies in three coffins, along with some personal items.
- [DIAL CLICKS.]
- [BROADCAST STOPS.]
The last sign of her was eight months ago in Tokyo.
What? What is that supposed to mean? Well she was working at a soapland.
She had many clients.
[BREATHES SHAKILY.]
[WHIMPERS.]
[SOLOMON CLEARS THROAT.]
[PHONE RINGING.]
[PHONE RINGS.]
Yes? Hello? Hello? [HANA.]
So strange to hear your voice now.
Hana, is that really you? Have you really forgotten my voice? And what's with your accent? Hana, I missed you.
Quit joking around.
Bet you haven't even thought of me till now.
[SOLOMON.]
That's not true.
The only good thing about rain.
The woods will be full of mushrooms.
Now? Why not? Take a batch home for your mother to make soup.
But the laundry.
There's two of us.
It'll take half the time.
[SOLOMON, IN JAPANESE.]
How did you find my number? [HANA.]
You see, everyone underestimates me.
Even you.
Where have you been? What boring questions.
Ask me, instead, if I'm still beautiful.
Are you still beautiful? If I close my eyes, sometimes I can still see the two of us.
We were so full of hope, weren't we? [SOLOMON.]
We were children.
[HANA.]
No, that's not true.
We were wise, and we were free.
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
[SOLOMON.]
Tell me where you are, please.
[HANA.]
If I told you, you wouldn't even know how to get to me.
[SOLOMON.]
I will find you.
I'm in that darkness, Solomon.
I've been here for so long now I don't know how to find my way out.
Even you you can't find me.
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
Etsuko's been looking for you.
Don't say anything to her.
If you do, I swear, I'll never call again.
But she still dreams of you.
I'll hang up! I mean it.
[SOLOMON, FAINTLY.]
Why did you go? Why did you leave us? It wasn't my choice, you know that! I didn't want to go.
I didn't want to leave you! But it was good that you left.
You sound like such an American now.
[SIGHS.]
And that woman, the one next to you, you have a thing for her, don't you? But girls like that, I hate them.
Are you watching me now? No, not now.
I'm feeling sleepy.
Wait! I have so many things to tell you.
Things I can't tell anyone.
It's good to hear you still need me.
I feel better.
Where are you? I'll call again.
When? When I can.
[SPEAKS JAPANESE.]
Hana? Hana? [EXHALES SHARPLY.]
[SUNJA BREATHES SHAKILY.]
[HANSU BREATHES HEAVILY.]