JI CHANG-WOOK
CHOI SUNG-EUN
HWANG IN-YOUP
DIRECTOR: KIM SEONG-YOON
CURSE OF ASPHALT
COUNSELING OFFICE
I'm real.
I'm a real magician.
BE QUIET INDOORS 117 - SCHOOL VIOLENCE HOTLINE
Are you done?
It's a shame the camera's battery died at the most important moment.
What do you think happened next?
I wonder where he stabbed him.
Is he dead?
Having fun?
Yoon Ah-yi.
All right.
To be honest, I used to think you were really weird.
But
after watching this video,
I started to think that maybe you're a victim too.
Victim?
I saw you run out of the amusement park before.
And it's also weird how that man told me to tell you he's waiting for you.
I don't know what happened, but if you--
-Watch it-- -Hey, Baek Ha-na.
I…
know your type very well.
You pretend to care about people while exposing weaknesses,
and pretend to comfort them while looking down on them.
It's all very obvious, you know.
-What? -I don't really care how you behave.
But what that man means to me as a person
is for me to decide, isn't it?
So don't you dare mouth off when you know nothing.
Hey!
This is what I get for looking out for you.
That makes me very curious.
What kind of person is he really? That man you know.
From what I see,
he's just a crazy guy.
He is
a real magician.
What did she just say?
Is she so shocked that she lost her mind?
Watch your mouth.
USB.
So you can report it?
Why?
-Is there a reason I shouldn't? -No.
They're gonna check the source of this video first,
but it's a spycam, right?
You might be taken in for questioning before the magician.
Just so you know.
He's crazy too.
A real magician?
Yoon Ah-yi!
Wait.
Hey, Yoon Ah-yi!
Where are you rushing off to?
Today, I actually
saw a police officer looking for someone who looked like the magician.
The police? Why?
I don't know the details.
So I'm going to go find out what's going on.
So are you going to the theme park right now?
What if there was…
actually a murder?
You're going to say to him, "I think I saw you kill someone"?
-It can't be true. -How can you believe that?
It's not that I believe it.
I want to believe it.
Because I think I know him
better than Ha-na or the police at least.
A special prize for good conduct goes to Na Il-deung, from grade 2 class 1.
So…
mind your own business.
Hey. Hey, Yoon Ah-yi!
Na Il-deung! Get in. There's gonna be traffic.
Damn it.
What?
What is he doing?
I'm scared!
What is it?
I'm scared!
What is it?
Please stop.
-I'm not going to watch it. -I'm scared.
-Stop. -Please stop.
Now.
-What's that? -What?
This goes in. Huh? This.
-This too. -Huh?
-What? -And there's one here too.
Where did it come from?
-Here! -Wow!
-There's so many! -If I put it in here…
Oh!
Ta-da.
That's so cute!
-Here, it's a gift. -Thank you.
It's so cute.
Wow, it's all out now!
I had so many things I wanted to ask,
but why does it feel like I've already heard the answers?
I'm going to catch it all!
Oh.
You're the student learning magic, right?
Yes.
Wait, if it's not too much to ask,
can you give me your phone number?
Why do you need my number?
I heard that you come here a lot.
It's nothing much.
Could you please contact me if something should happen later?
If something happens?
Then, could you give me your number instead?
That'd be better.
Thank you.
See you later.
Sure.
I'm real. I'm a real magician.
Drink up, No-rang.
Yoo-yi.
Yeah?
That magician that dropped by our house that one time,
how did he seem to you?
Well, he's pretty good-looking. Not my type, though.
No, not like that.
Like, you know…
Did he seem like a good person,
or a criminal,
or a real magician?
A magician?
Legit? For real?
Yeah.
I think…
you need to get some rest. Studying is hard, right?
I don't think you have a fever.
So cute.
How can you believe that?
It's not that I believe it.
I want to believe it.
So mind your own business.
What's wrong?
Do you have a headache again?
-It's nothing. -Let me see. You don't have a fever?
I said I'm fine.
Don't touch it!
Exams are just around the corner.
You're already feeling ill, so just take care of yourself.
I'll clean this up.
Shit!
Jeez. Dumbass bird…
Is this blood?
Oh my gosh.
Be quiet. Please.
Please, be quiet.
Oh, you scared me.
It's me. You remember me, right?
What is it now?
You know, I'm very interested in you.
I recently started to be very interested in magic,
so I was thinking maybe I could learn magic here.
Oh! I heard that Yoon Ah-yi comes here too.
Come again later.
Later? Again?
I guess I picked the wrong day again.
I'll come back another day then.
But…
is it really my magic?
The thing you want to know
and see?
I thought I was clear last time.
Sneaking around and peeping…
is disrespectful
to magic.
Actually,
I'm not that interested in magic.
Besides, if I really wanted to see magic, I'd pay to see it in a theater.
Why would I come here?
Then what's the real reason you came all the way
to a place like this?
To get evidence.
I thought I should let other people know
what's going on
in a place like this.
What happened to this guy?
If I'm mistaken, tell me it's not true.
Is there really a need for me to answer that?
Just
think whatever you want.
It's one of two things. Either I'm not guilty,
or if I am, nobody can catch me.
I think it's one of these two.
You're either a con artist pretending to be a magician, or…
you're a psycho who believes himself to be
a real magician.
I don't care if you think I'm truly crazy, but my magic?
My magic is real.
So don't you dare lay your hands on my stuff.
Whatever!
You know that what I'm recording is being saved automatically, right?
Give it to me.
Give it to me!
What are you doing?
Get your hands off me!
What are you doing?
What more do you want me to show you?
What do you want me to say?
-What do you want from me? -Let go of me!
I'll do whatever you want.
Bella.
Baek Ha-na.
What's wrong?
Are you okay?
Seriously?
It freaks me out the more I think about it.
No wonder there are strange rumors about him.
I wanna run to the police right now, but will I be okay?
What if he comes after me to take revenge?
Are you sure it was the magician?
You're not mistaking someone else for him?
What are you talking about?
I mean, I'm just saying…
No matter how much I think about it, I just can't believe
that it's the same person.
Hey. Take a good, hard look.
He definitely did this.
He flipped out and tried to choke me to death.
Can you say it wasn't him after seeing this?
Tell me.
Is there something I don't know?
I said tell me!
I don't know either.
I don't know.
You and Yoon Ah-yi
have totally gone crazy, huh?
All right then. Just wait until it happens to you guys too.
NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT TESTS
Baek Ha-na called in sick, but everyone else is here, right?
-Yes. -Okay.
KOREAN - NA IL-DEUNG
What is it?
I…
I have a terrible headache.
Can I leave?
-Are you sure? -Yes.
All right then.
How's the headache?
It's better now.
Yesterday, Baek Ha-na…
Yeah. So-hee told me in the morning.
I heard something awful happened to Ha-na at the theme park.
Is that true?
I think so.
I think it's best you don't go there for the time being too.
It doesn't matter.
I know how weird I must seem to others.
I mean, the way you're blindly trusting the magician
when bad things keep happening,
it's a little hard to understand.
That's why it doesn't matter.
I never had anyone that understood me anyway.
You know how when we were little, we used to wait for Santa Claus?
There were a lot of times I resented him.
I heard he visited all the other kids,
but why did he never come to me?
I remember being sad and disappointed every Christmas.
I…
wish that Ha-na was just lying.
And that the police looking for him
turns out to be nothing.
I really,
really want to believe
that even though it's a little late,
Santa… finally came to me too.
Bella.
Il-deung.
I heard you turned in a half-empty answer sheet.
I'm sorry.
-I wasn't feeling good. -In the middle of a test?
Where did it hurt? How bad?
I had a headache.
I felt like I was going to pass out.
Then you should have just passed out instead!
Then they would have let you retake the test at least!
What are you saying to your sick son?
My gosh.
It's because I think his health isn't the problem.
This is not like you.
I knew it.
What is all this?
I was going to let it slide once,
but now I have to know.
What's the reason you're obsessing over these stupid things?
I just like it.
What's the use of all this?
You're doing this because you enjoy watching me flip out, aren't you?
Then what am I supposed to do?
Because if I'm happy, you suffer,
and if you're happy, I suffer.
What?
Enough, both of you!
Il-deung, sit down. And you stop it.
Well, if you're having such a hard time,
then you need to take a break, okay?
Il-deung.
When you were little, you told me
that you decided to study law because of me.
I was so happy to hear that from you.
Do you remember?
-Yes. -Good.
What part of my life seemed so cool in the eyes of that little boy?
Wherever you went,
people lined up, trying to impress you,
and it seemed amazing.
It felt like I was someone important too, just by being by your side.
That's right.
That's the reason you need to persevere even though it's hard now.
Isn't it worth it when you and your family
could live a life like this forever?
Answer me.
Yes.
But what if…
I find something
that doesn't pay well
and people don't respect me for, but it's meaningful to me?
Son.
That's just pretentious!
What people without accomplishments say!
So what if you don't have accomplishments?
You can still be happy without the approval of others.
I've seen it.
Where? Who is like that?
Some magician.
Magician? What are you talking about?
What is going on with you?
So you're saying instead of becoming a judge, you'll be a magician?
You don't need things like money or honor?
Then what are you going to live for?
What do you get from doing magic?
What exactly do I have to get?
Mom.
Are you trying to get something out of raising me?
You brat!
What is this nonsense?
You,
you pathetic boy.
Come on. Let's go!
Wait.
I'm not giving up on you.
From tomorrow, I'm taking you to and from school and tutoring.
Don't you even dare think about spending a single minute as you please.
We award this student, for he has achieved an excellent score
AWARD CERTIFICATE NA IL-DEUNG
I am a lucky person.
I am going fast on a straight and even asphalt-paved road.
So people
who are walking slowly on a winding, messy dirt road
can never beat me.
So I am always on top.
I have walked this asphalt road, thinking it's a blessing.
If I just stay on this road that my parents have already paved,
I will arrive safely at a good college
and a good job after that.
But
after meeting the magician, one question suddenly hit me.
Am I driving of my own free will?
This road is so fast that I can't see my surroundings clearly.
I can't just keep driving forward without knowing where the end is.
Slowly.
Try.
-I think I can do it. -Yeah.
-One by one. -Yeah.
-Like this. One by one. -You're good at this.
-One by one… -You're doing great.
What kind of adult did I dream of becoming?
What makes a good adult?
Is success
moving forward according to a well-made plan without ever failing?
If I succeed,
will I be happy?
I don't know.
Right now,
I just want to run through this huge field of flowers.
What do I have to do
to reach that place?
Oh my.
Oh my goodness.
Who are you?
Do you…
believe in magic?
Believe in what?
Jesus Christ, what a psycho.
Please, don't kill me.
I'm sorry.
Don't kill me.
Please! Oh my…
Oh my goodness.
Please spare my life.
Oh my.
Is anyone here?
Excuse me.
Hurry up.
Yoon Ah-yi, the teacher wants you in the office.
Miss.
There was a mugging last night, near this school.
A mugging?
Yes.
You know the magician that lives in the theme park, right?
The victim made a statement that the magician attacked her.
I heard that you often hang out with him.
Were you there yesterday as well?
No.
Sir,
what do you mean by mugging?
He threatened a passerby with a knife and stole her purse.
At first, he said something like,
"Do you…
believe in magic?"
Anyway, he approached her, saying something strange like that.
That can't be right.
He's not the kind of person to do such a thing.
Ah-yi, how do you know this person?
I guess we'll find out during the investigation.
Oh, one of the reference witnesses insisted on talking to you.
He'll be here soon.
PLEASE KNOCK COUNSELING IN PROGRESS
Hello.
Wow.
How pleasant.
We're finally meeting.
Do you want something to eat?
You can tell me anything.
Oh, you poor young thing. In this cruel world.
Do you know this man?
Yes.
Oh boy, do we know each other.
Hey, let me see your face.
Where is that son of a bitch?
Do you know where the magician is right now?
Any places you can think of?
No, I don't know anything other than the amusement park.
Yeah, right.
Even if you do know, you don't, right?
These two, they're in it together.
-In it together? -Yes.
This case is not their first time.
Hey. Do you know
what I went through back then, because of the two of you?
Wait a second.
-Back then? -Yes!
Back then!
I said come with me!
Do you
believe
in magic?
Do I believe in what?
What the… Get lost!
Don't you remember?
When you and that crazy bastard pushed me down the hill!
What the hell! Let go of her!
-What is wrong with you? -Okay, hold on.
Listen!
She came into my store as a part-timer
and asked for her pay in advance.
Then she lured me to the top of that hill where the amusement park is.
And when I gave her the money, as soon as she got it,
that psycho showed up as if they'd planned it in advance!
Annara
sumanara.
He suddenly just pushed me over the railing!
-Liar! -Liar?
You've got to be kidding me.
Hey. Does this look like a lie to you?
I got this on my face because of that fall
and injured my back!
And how will you compensate me for when I had to close the store?
-This can't be right. -You know.
He disappeared that night.
…because I have good reflexes.
That wasn't just assault. It was attempted murder.
You hear? But now what?
Now I hear he's mugging people?
Threatening old people with a knife?
-You little… -Stop! Come on!
Is what this person saying true?
No. He was trying to help me that night--
Look, you have to catch him quickly.
He's not normal. He's extremely dangerous!
What are the police officers of this country doing?
Letting a lunatic wearing a cape
go about doing all these insane things?
Excuse me, sir!
This is a school! Do not make a scene!
-That's all a lie. -Just put both of them in jail!
She's an accomplice!
It wasn't the magician.
Il-deung…
What do you mean?
I was with him at the amusement park last night.
-What? -You?
What time was that?
Around 11:00 p.m. When did the victim report the crime?
11:15 p.m.
Then I'm certain. As long as there aren't two magicians.
-Are you in it with them too? -Come on, man.
You know that man well too?
Yes.
But
why were you there so late at night?
-That's… -Look at that.
See? He can't answer.
Why were you there?
I asked you why you were there!
Il-deung.
Were you really there last night?
Yes.
Did you see the magician then?
I did.
Look at me.
I've become a total mess
after meeting the magician.
You know what's funny though?
It's true that I'm a mess
because of the magician…
but I don't want
to go back to the way things were.
MOM
COUNSELING OFFICE
Thank you for coming at such short notice.
It's nothing.
I'm sorry to worry you.
No. It's okay.
It's fine.
Come in.
Oh, Il-deung.
Come here. Sit down.
All right then. Take your time to talk among yourselves.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
Hey. Il-deung, are you out of your mind?
How could you lie like that in front of the police?
I wasn't lying.
And if you weren't?
Then,
are you saying you were actually hanging out with a robber?
He's not a robber. I'm the witness.
Stop this now.
I'm saying I saw it for myself.
I was just telling them what I saw--
Even if you did see,
I'm saying don't say you did.
What happens if I don't?
An innocent man is wrongly accused.
Innocent?
He is far from being innocent.
He's illegally living in the amusement park, he's jobless,
his outfit, the way he speaks and acts…
Everything is suspicious.
He's responsible for making people feel unsafe,
so of course he should be investigated.
You said it, didn't you?
Money, honor, and people's respect. You don't need any of that.
Just wait and see.
Do you think anyone will believe that magician, despite what he says?
That's what is called
a social stigma.
You're going to see with your own eyes just how ugly the result is.
If you really thought things would change by you stepping up, then you're wrong.
You are nothing without the shield of being my son.
That's why you have to become an adult that everyone will acknowledge.
Do you understand?
Na Il-deung. Were you actually with that magician?
Why would you hang out with someone like him?
You're that kind of guy?
-I heard that man is a robber. -I knew something was up.
He's lying because of Yoon Ah-yi, right?
Has he not heard any of the weird rumors?
There's always a valid reason when everyone thinks the same thing.
He doesn't live up to his looks.
-Yeah. -I knew it.
Seriously. That's too bad.
Now I know.
No one in the world is crazy.
They make you into a crazy person little by little, if you don't fit
society's standards.
Why do you keep going astray?
Just keep following the asphalt road I've paved for you!
-Go help. -Hey, are you okay?
Mister?
If you're a real magician,
can you break this curse of the asphalt
that I'm under?
Someday, will I be able to escape this cold road
and run through a huge field of flowers
just like you?
No, please…
Subtitle translation by: SC