Reply 1997 episode 11
Reply 1997
Tae Woong is in the kitchen, making breakfast while wearing the most adorable apron ever. A phone call from the charnel house reminds Tae Woong that it’s that time to send in payment for his parents’ resting place.
Tae Woong is surprised that time has passed so quickly.
The man on the line asks what his relationship is with the deceased and Tae Woong replies that they are his parents.
He narrates, “The names I call after seven years: Father and Mother. After that accident seven years ago, I forgot that I was somebody’s son. The relationship that was already chosen even before my birth, decided without my saying.”
“That is what family is. Now there’s only one familial relationship left for me.”
He nudges Yoon Jae’s as he wakes his little brother up for school. Yoon Jae annoyingly mutters that he doesn’t have to go in early, and Tae Woong tucks him back in, but Yoon Jae wakes up to the smell of breakfast.
The Yoon brothers have a morning visitor as Si Won enters the household, holding a large Tupperware full of quail eggs marinated in soy sauce. She takes a sip from Yoon Jae’s soup bowl and compliments Tae Woong on his cooking skills. Tae Woong jokes that if he fails in business, he’s going to open up a restaurant.
Tae Woong is more amazed at just how many boiled eggs Si Won brought and asks if her family has enough.
Knowing Mama Sung, we’re pretty sure Si Won’s family has enough.
Si Won is in the kitchen, spooning large amounts of rice into the bowl. She comments that it doesn’t matter if it’s over or undercooked, because once food is in the stomach, it’s all the same.
Tae Woong tells her to stop spooning so much rice, and Si Won replies with “I thought you didn’t care if I got fat.”
He smiles at her and asks her if she still wants to go watch Art Museum By The Zoo in theaters. She passes, saying she already has plans.
They briefly talk about how Si Won’s parents are planning on going on a trip somewhere, before Tae Woong asks Yoon Jae if he wants more rice, but when they turn to the living room, Yoon Jae is nowhere to be seen.
Seeing Yoon Jae gone, Si Won puts on a sad, disappointed face.
Yoon Jae is waiting at the bus station, listening to Lee Ki Chan’s Please.
He stares at the metal S that Si Won pulled off of Tae Woong’s Sonata before frowning in frustration and throwing the S away.
The music continues to play, singing, “A person, anyone near me, to listen to my stories.”
Hak Chan is reading a dirty magazine titled Butterfly and Joon Hee is reading the comic book, Audition (one of our favorites!) while Sung Jae bickers about the song choice.
He claims that Jo Sung Mo’s new song isn’t going to be popular, especially because Jo Sung Mo is a singer who hasn’t revealed his face to the public, which means that he’s probably super ugly.
Hak Chan comments that hearing his voice, he’s probably also a good-looking guy. Sung Jae is frustrated by his friends’ stupidity and tells them to trust him, since he’s the one who’s predicted all of the past hits.
“There’s no way this song will get popular.”
Joon Hee disagrees and gives one vote to the song becoming popular.
Hak Chan decides to trust Sung Jae. Two votes for To Heaven being a failure.
Hak Chan asks what the punishment is if they lose.
Yoon Jae enters the classroom and Sung Jae asks what he thinks about the song. Yoon Jae thinks it will be popular.
Two vs Two.
Hak Chan demands to know the punishment.
Sung Jae brings all his friends in and says the loser has to go to a girl’s classroom and say the name of the girl he likes three times very loudly.
The other boys think it’s stupid and hit Sung Jae with their books.
But Sung Jae say it’s all for the fun of making high school memories. The boys are unconvinced as Hak Chan says you might as well write your name with your , which Sung Jae is open to.
Joon Hee doesn’t think the punishment is too harsh, since all they have to do is call out Yoo Jung and Si Won’s name.
She comments on the nasty smell lingering in the boy’s classroom before asking to borrow Joon Hee’s earphones.
She notices the Butterfly magazine in Hak Chan’s hands and asks what that is. Hak Chan quickly slips it into his desk before explaining that it’s a magazine about bugs and the difference between a butterfly and a moth. Smooth, Hak Chan….very smooth.
Joon Hee doesn’t have his earphones, so he asks Sung Jae, who blows the earwax off of his and offers them. But no one in their right minds would take it and Joon Hee quickly declines them. Joon Hee urges Si Won to ask Yoon Jae, who is currently using his headphone.
Si Won hesitates, but then gives up, leaving the classroom quietly.
Yoon Jae stays still and Joon Hee notices the riff between them.
He then looks at Yoon Jae’s CD-player. He presses play and the CD-player starts playing music into Yoon Jae’s ears. Joon Hee gives Yoon Jae a sad look before continuing with his comic book.
Yoon Jae focuses hard on reading his comic book, but it’s obvious that he’s not even reading it.
Then he asks about her and why she’s taking so long to come out.
Mama Sung pops out, looking as adorable and young as ever, completely excited to go on this trip abroad.
Of course, Papa Sung does not approve and tells her if she has time to make herself look like that, she might as well call her daughter since Si Won’s been coming home late every single night.
Mama Sung tells him to relax. It’s their senior year, they should play! But Papa Sung is not fine with that since the news has been reporting more and more cases in the area.
Si Won receives a call from her dad and promises to go home early.
She tells her parents to go have fun on their vacation. She suddenly blows up, asking, “How can I sleep with Yoon Jae still? He’s a boy!”
Si Won hangs up the phone and Yoo Jung laughs at the conversation.
“They still think we are little kids,” says Si Won, but Yoo Jung explains that it’s because of their unique relationship.
“I even thought you two were dating at first because you always stuck together like glue. Although Yoon Jae wouldn’t be in his right mind to date you when there are so many girls waiting in line for him.”
Si Won threatens to tell Hak Chan about Yoo Jung’s former crush on Yoon Jae and that shuts Yoo Jung right up.
Yoo Jung’s not so happy about Si Won’s part time job since there are so many creepers out these days. She mentions a girl in their school who barely escaped being forced into a van.
But these events are nothing to Si Won, who promises to go home before midnight.
Before Si Won can say another word, Yoo Jung is angrily scolding Hak Chan on the phone, making him promise to come eat with her girl friends later that night.
Hak Chan tries to make up excuses but she’s totally not having it. This must happen a lot as Hak Chan puts his phone down and lets Yoo Jung vent. He picks it up at the right moment and although annoyed says he’ll come.
Sung Jae tells him that one day Yoo Jung is going to murder him. He adds that they don’t look like a couple at all, but rather a psychopath girlfriend who keeps him hostage. Hak Chan is unconvinced, but then takes a large gulp of alcohol.
Tae Woong asks his employee if he’s prepared a suit too, since Tae Woong doesn’t want to take the credit for something that his employee has also worked hard on. The employee looks at him touched and grateful for an awesome boss.
Just then the television reports another incident and how the number has increased since the IMF crisis in 1997. Tae Woong watches worriedly.
Cue to a phone call to Si Won, who reassures him that no one is going to kidnap her. She adds that Yoo Jung has her own plans and when Tae Woong suggests she sleep over with Yoon Jae, she gets defensive that she can protect herself better than he can.
Yoon Jae also receives a call from his older brother, asking him to sleep over at Si Won’s house, since she’ll be home alone. Just then, Si Won awkwardly walks past.
Yoon Jae doesn’t answer right away.
At a snack bar, Hak Chan sighs and picks up all the fish cake sticks to pay for them.
Si Won is working her shift at the store, when a strange man wearing a brown trench coat and cap lingers inside.
Yoo Jung’s friends are getting tired of waiting and say that he must not really like Yoo Jung. Truth is, Hak Chan is right outside the café but can’t bring himself to go inside.
Is it because of his fear of girls? Is that back?
Hak Chan finally musters the courage to enter the café, where he meets eyes with Yoo Jung. She frantically waves for him to come to the table, but he dashes out of the café.
The friends give up and Yoo Jung heads to the cashier to pay, but it turns out someone has already paid. A student, who has short hair and bags under his eyes, and speaks in a Seoul accent. Yup, sounds like Hak Chan all right, and Yoo Jung’s face bursts with happiness.
Luckily, Hak Chan didn’t just leave but is waiting outside.
Yoo Jung finally gets to introduce her boyfriend to her friends, but the happiness doesn’t last when Hak Chan meets his mother on the street.
She asks who Yoo Jung is, and in a moment of frenzy (and stupidity), Hak Chan replies that Yoo Jung is some girl he knows. (NO! Not in front of her friends!). Hak Chan immediately realizes he made a mistake, but it’s too late. Yoo Jung’s world crashes before our eyes.
Si Won completes her shift and tells the male worker to be careful, since there are a lot of drunkards out. The worker instead tells Si Won to take a cab home, which Si Won refuses to since the distance is kind of iffy.
She walks out of the convenience store and the same creepy man in the brown trench coat watches her leave by the window.
Yoon Jae is at home, reading a comic book, but a news report talks about a incident, the third to happen in Busan within a week. Immediately, fear crosses his face and he freezes in worry.
With dogs barking in the distance, Si Won is walking through an alley way. It’s only then when she feels something’s not right and notices a man in the shadows, pretending to pee. She her head in confusion, but continues her way.
“Am I just a girl you know?”
Hak Chan has nothing to say except that he panicked in the worst way possible.
Yoo Jung says he doesn’t have to explain to some girl he knows and apologizes for bothering him. Hak Chan asks if she really doesn’t know how he feels.
“The truth comes out when you least expect it. We’re through.”
Yoo Jung goes inside her house and Hak Chan grabs his hair in frustration.
Meanwhile, Yoon Jae is at home, still worried about Si Won.
He calls her house but no one picks up, pushing his worry level to its highest. He moves on to her cell phone, when he starts hearing drunk men on the streets outside.
Si Won is more attentive to her surroundings now, certain that the man in the brown coat is following her. She calls Yoon Jae, but he doesn’t pick up, because he’s trying to call her up at the same time. (No such thing as call waiting back then.)
Si Won weeps silently, agonizing over the fact that Yoon Jae’s not picking up his phone.
Yoon Jae calls and calls, hanging and redialing again.
Finally, his home phone rings and he runs to pick it up.
It’s Si Won, who fearfully explains that a strange man is following her. He asks where she is before quickly dashing out of the house.
He runs through the neighborhood, alleyway after alleyway.
Si Won pretends to be on the phone, hoping that the man behind her will stop following.
Tae Woong calls Yoon Jae, asking where he is.
Yoon Jae, breathing loudly, tells Tae Woong he’ll call back later, when a bicycle comes out of nowhere and hits him.
Tae Woong freaks out on the other line, but Yoon Jae has only one thing on his mind.
All fear washes out of Si Won’s face at the sight of Yoon Jae, running towards her. He grabs her shoulders and momentarily sees the man in the brown coat, who quickly turns around and leaves.
Yoon Jae apologizes for being late, when Si Won notices that Yoon Jae is missing a slipper.
He doesn’t let go of her on the way home, as he lectures her about coming home so late at night.
Si Won doesn’t say anything but glances over at Yoon Jae.
They arrive at their house, where Yoon Jae quickly lets go of her shoulders.
He tells her to go inside, but Si Won pauses to look back at him.
He asks if she wants him to stay with her for a little.
“You’re bleeding a lot.” She says.
Yoon Jae tells her not to worry and go inside. Si Won reaches out for his hand, which he quickly pulls away. “Go to sleep,” says Yoon Jae, as he limps home, wearing only one shoe.
Si Won watches him leave with an emotionless face.
At the office, the employee returns with snacks, only to find Tae Woong missing. Another worker says Tae Woong ran out of the building like a maniac.
Si Won sits on her bed, processing everything that happened.
Si Won narrates, “Relationships also have levels of difficulty. Yoon Jae and my relationship is the easiest level of them all. It’s easy to explain and easy to explain – a relationship between childhood best friends. However, I realize vaguely, very vaguely, that our relationship could become one of the most difficult in the world. The hardest level of them all – the relationship between a man and a woman.”
At Yoon Jae’s house, Yoon Jae is trying to treat his wounds, as he narrates, “We expect different things, look towards different directions, and dream of different dreams. The things that happen between a man and a woman are full of continuous love and war. We turn our backs, and then console each other. We fight and make up. We give each other pain and hugs. A relationship like an ever-changing patient who is bi-polar, but the hardest part of a relationship between a man and a woman is that the timing when they love is completely off and can be near impossible to even start. A very fickle and picky relationship. But there is one relationship that is more annoying and dull that I cannot avoid.”
He demands to know why Yoon Jae didn’t pick up his calls. Yoon Jae apologizes, saying he forgot...
Tae Woong notices Yoo Jae’s cuts and freaks out. Yoon Jae lies and says he ran into something, as Tae Woong scolds Yoon Jae for being so careless.
Yoon Jae comments that Tae Woong has worn his shirt inside-out, having run out of the office in a rush. But Tae Woong’s shirt is the least of his concerns at the moment, as he gets the medicine and treats Yoon Jae’s cuts.
“A very annoying and dull relationship that I cannot avoid. Therefore, a painstaking relationship that’ll last forever. It’s family.”
Time passes and Hak Chan and Sung Jae are drinking together as a music program announces the winner of the third week of December as Jo Sung Mo with To Heaven. Both of their faces fall and they both start chugging their drinks.
But a punishment is a punishment as the four boys crowd around in front of the girls’ classroom. Sung Jae and Hak Chan are nervously freaking out, when Yoon Jae has a change of heart and says only one of them has to do it.
He signals to Joon Hee that Hak Chan has recently broken up with Yoo Jung. Joon Hee nods.
Sung Jae decides he’ll go in.
He whispers, “Eun Gakha. Eun Gakha” and takes a deep breath. He storms into the classroom, running into the door loudly and grabbing everyone’s attention. But once inside, his confidence shrivels away, especially as Eun Gakha glares at him.
Everyone’s frozen in place.
Hak Chan narrates, “The good thing about the most difficult level of a relationship between a man and woman is with just one word, the atmosphere can completely change.”
Yoo Jung can’t hide her happiness as she bursts into silent giggles. Hak Chan shyly creates a heart with his hands and sends it to her.
“Return to normal.”
Hak Chan and Sung Jae bow before exiting the classroom.
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