Original subtitles

Are you out of your mind?

Me? With that bastard?

He's just an unlucky classmate I got stuck with.

I'd scrub him out if I could!

For a classmate, you sound extremely hostile.

Whenever I think about that jerk,

I jolt awake in the middle of the night, fuming.

Okay, I get it, so just drive carefully!

You're a lawyer and yet…

No, it's not me.

- The car isn't listening to me. - What?

Se-na!

Se-na!

- Se-na! - No, La-ik!

Where's my Se-na?

EP05 BENEATH THE TICKLING TREE

Where could my little girl be?

There you are.

Why is my Se-na so upset today?

Se-na,

your mom didn't scold you

because you broke the pot.

She scolded you because you kept saying you didn't do it.

I didn't do it.

Really?

So you didn't break it?

Yeah! I didn't!

I see.

But that's strange.

Why is this tree getting all ticklish?

The tree?

Se-na, this is a tickle tree.

When someone tells a lie underneath it,

its leaves start fluttering

like it's getting tickled…

- There! - You're lying.

It's true.

This tree has very thin bark,

so what's outside and inside are the same.

It always shows itself honestly.

Just like you, Se-na.

No, I…

I…

Dad?

Dad.

Dad?

Dad.

Dad!

Dad!

Dad!

Dad.

Attorney Maeng! Attorney Maeng?

- Are you okay? - Attorney Maeng?

Are you okay? Were you hurt?

The doctor said it's just an arm fracture. No other injuries, thankfully.

What exactly happened?

Well, the car suddenly started acting up.

- The car? - Yes.

Do La-ik, your head…

Why? Does it hurt?

I'll go get the doctor.

My arm…

Ten years without an accident and suddenly this?

I don't know. The steering just stopped responding.

What about when you started the car? Did the RPM spike out?

I don't remember clearly.

La-ik got out first, and I stayed to talk to the prosecutor.

I came down in a rush.

For now, find out which shop is handling my car

and figure out what exactly caused the accident.

Something

doesn't feel right.

Are you saying someone did it on purpose?

Excuse me, our Attorney Maeng… I mean, the patient just woke up.

- Could you come quickly? - What's the patient's name?

It's Maeng Se-na.

You have a car accident patient, right?

He's a well-known figure…

Is Mr. Do La-ik here?

Could you please check it?

- Excuse me. - Did you see him?

Se-na, we've got a problem. Reporters are everywhere.

Excuse me.

I think I'm okay now. Can I be discharged?

Yes.

You're all done. Just settle the bill and you can go.

You're leaving? You should rest a bit more.

You're okay, right?

Yes, I'm okay.

- But-- - I'm fine too.

It won't help if reporters see me now.

Chung-jae, please take care of the rest. Let's go.

Taxi!

La-ik, hurry up.

There they are.

- Isn't that him? - The cab over there?

Damn it.

You still can't get that one done?

How do you fail to lock up someone who was caught at the scene?

You said he was the one.

The circumstantial evidence is solid. We'll have the physical evidence soon.

Imhwa Group is in an uproar.

You tagged an innocent person as an accomplice, not even a witness.

Why drag their daughter?

Can't you ever handle things quietly?

- I apologize. - Forget it.

To take a case everyone wanted,

you pulled strings, got your father involved.

So you'd better deliver.

If you push on gut feeling without evidence and it blows up,

how are you going to handle the fallout?

Bring me solid proof, or admit your mistake

and change course now.

You said you wanted to be a prosecutor, right?

I hope that dream comes true,

so you can watch me

set everything straight right in front of you.

Man, look at that face.

I heard the chief chewed you out.

I guess you took a real beating.

What is it? You have something?

I do.

I have fresh information.

I checked Choi Jae-hee's alibi, and the hospital confirmed

Hong Hye-joo was right.

So it's true Jae-hee wasn't at the hospital?

Yes.

Something felt off,

so I pulled all the CCTV around the lodge.

And guess what,

he shows up on it.

I saw on the news that his group members were at the hospital that night.

That's not true.

What?

That night I saw him

near La-ik's house.

I saw Choi Jae-hee.

Extend the scope. Start an investigation on Choi Jae-hee.

But if we shift to Jae-hee now,

it'll clash with the Do La-ik case…

We're not switching suspects.

Choi Jae-hee or Do La-ik, we tear them both apart the same way.

Keep going until one of them confesses.

Sir, could you please drive a little slower?

I am sorry.

Thank you.

Wait, did you hurt your foot? Let me see.

No, it's just a cramp.

What are you doing?

Hold still. You're making it heavier by squirming.

You're gonna hurt your back! You already have a herniated disc!

How do you know I have a disc problem?

A herniated disc is a modern-day disease!

Any adult can have it. I have it too!

Seriously, couldn't you live somewhere normal with an elevator?

Put me down! Now!

- Hold still. - Seriously!

Why…

My God.

- I'm dying. - What's wrong with you?

I told you to just put me down!

You're hurt!

I don't ignore someone who's hurt.

Until you're healed, I'll handle everything.

So don't do anything, okay?

I sincerely apologize.

My son tends to charge ahead recklessly during investigations.

So I have to learn from a reporter

that my daughter sat in a prosecutor's office for six hours

being questioned?

Do you know how hard I had to work to kill that story?

My apologies.

If I had known she was your daughter,

I would never have allowed such disrespect.

There's a difference between being relentless

and going against the flow.

You said the culprit is practically caught already.

Yet why are you stumbling like this?

Investigations

must be led by evidence.

We're still missing the decisive proof.

Back in your day, you weren't like this.

You handled things cleanly without unnecessary noise.

It seems your son falls

far short of that decisiveness and precision.

He's still young and inexperienced.

Please grant him just a little more patience.

Cases like this only get worse

the longer they drag on.

If needed,

you should consider shaping the flow yourself,

just as you once did.

He's already been discharged from the hospital.

Thankfully, it wasn't serious.

And his whereabouts are still unknown?

I'm sorry.

Are you hiding something?

No, ma'am.

But if the Chairman finds out, he'll be furious--

I'll handle it myself, so please…

find him as soon as you can.

I need to know where he is.

PEANUT BUTTER

There's nothing to cook with.

FRESH MILK

Se-na, are you okay?

Se-na?

Why? What is it?

I'm fine. Why?

I heard something breaking in there.

- Come here. - Why?

Why?

I said I'm fine, why?

Sit down. Just for a second.

- I'm fine. - Sit here.

I can just dry it with a dryer.

Okay?

Why are you doing this?

Use this and dry it.

You hurt your hand too. Skipping a shower once won't kill you.

No way. I'll smell.

You washed your hair this morning.

That's enough, it won't smell.

Stinky Se-na.

- Stinky Se-na? - What?

Is that your childhood nickname?

No, it's not.

Come on. I heard him call you that.

It was just because of my name. It wasn't because I actually smell.

I know it's not true,

but when people keep calling me that,

I can't help thinking

maybe it is.

What do you mean by "maybe it is"?

He's ridiculous. His name means germ.

His name is Germ, and he's teasing your name?

He's the weird one. Seriously. Even his personality's weird.

I'm hungry.

Wait a minute.

Seriously, I'm not invisible.

Shouldn't you at least talk to the person you're eating with?

Sorry, I had something urgent to look over.

Anyway, you seem polite and rude at the same time.

Says the man who spoke informally to me the moment we met.

I don't talk like that to anyone.

It just feels natural with you. So it slips out.

You could talk casually back.

No.

That'd make us seem way too close.

Really?

Most people like it when I drop formalities.

Makes them feel closer to me.

That's…

what people who like you say.

For someone saying that, you seem to like me a lot.

Did you know that?

All of this, I was the one who advertised them.

Really?

Yeah, really. Look.

How did you manage to buy

only the products I endorsed? Isn't that amazing?

Really? Let me see.

You're right.

This was you.

That's funny.

To me…

this can't be a coincidence.

You bought them because they're the best-selling ones.

Right. Yeah.

They're the best ones. I like them.

Nope. They all taste the same.

What changes it is whether my face is on it.

But the funny thing is, I can't even drink milk.

I am lactose intolerant.

Really?

I had no idea.

Of course you didn't. I'm a product.

A product that must never be opened.

People twist off my lid…

lick a little…

and if they ever find out how terrible it actually tastes, I'm done.

Why are you saying things like that?

What do you mean?

Why do you talk about yourself that way?

You were loved by so many people.

But you always acted

like you despise the people who love you.

That always felt strange to me.

And now I'm thinking…

maybe the one you really hate

is yourself.

Maybe that's why you don't believe any of it,

because you think you don't deserve to be loved.

Spoken like a lawyer.

You're smart, insightful,

but you got one thing wrong.

I've never been loved.

People love Do La-ik of Gold Boys.

Not me.

That Do La-ik, he deserves love.

But I'm not.

I don't know how to give it or receive it.

All I do is complain.

Only one person ever understood that…

and now even that person's gone.

Which is why I'm relieved.

You don't like me at all.

Since you don't,

you'll never be disappointed in me.

Right?

The tire blew out.

That's why the steering didn't work and the brakes felt weak.

The pressure sensor didn't go off either, right?

It burst because someone tried to puncture it and didn't finish it.

You mean someone did this on purpose?

See this hole?

Looks like someone jabbed it with something sharp.

All of them need to be replaced.

Unbelievable. Who would do something like this?

I knew something was off.

So did you report it to the police?

Yeah, but they're dragging their feet. So I'm looking into it myself.

And your dashcam was off for days.

It's recording, right?

The dashcam, I wish you'd turned it off.

I turned it off for a bit.

I must've forgotten to turn it back on.

Why is he here again?

What are they talking about this early?

What are those two to each other?

Why do I care?

Whatever they are.

I checked the CCTV at the parking lot near your place too.

Nothing suspicious.

I'll check the cameras near your office later.

But…

- Don't you think it's too coincidental? - What do you mean?

The accident happened that day… Isn't that strange?

You said La-ik came down first that day, right?

What if that moment was his chance?

A chance to prove he was innocent.

- And how would that prove anything? - I'm just saying, look at the possibility.

Think about it.

Who would gain from something like that? Only Do La-ik.

If he had a non-fatal accident,

he could claim someone was trying to murder him,

that he's not the real culprit.

Then he walks away innocent.

Chung-jae, quit the mystery novels.

Quit the games.

Say something that makes sense. Who risks their own life like that?

Someone who might rot in prison for the rest of his life.

If he killed someone, what wouldn't he do?

Don't say that.

Yes, he's rude, self-centered,

and infuriating most of the time…

but he would never do something like that.

And how would you know?

Chung-jae,

don't you remember when we first met?

You were arrested for pickpocketing twice, and I defended you.

I told you there wouldn't be a third defense.

I don't remember.

Why are you bringing up old stuff?

When you called me the third time,

I really wasn't going to take your case.

But you said

you didn't do it.

You begged me to believe you, just once.

You know better than anyone

how powerful it is

when someone believes you.

So I'm going to believe my client until the end…

at least for now.

I didn't do it!

How can you suspect me?

I was hospitalized that day! Do La-ik beat me up!

Then what is this?

We already confirmed on CCTV

that you left the hospital and went straight to the lodge.

Why did you lie?

I…

- It's… - Mr. Choi.

Lying about your alibi strongly suggests you're hiding something.

Depending on how this goes, you may no longer

- be a witness, but a suspect. - What?

Why are you pinning this on wrong person?

Mr. Choi, please, don't get agitated…

How am I supposed to stay calm? He's accusing me now!

Why are you harassing an innocent person when the real culprit is in front of you?

I told you before! Do La-ik is the killer!

There's no evidence that he's the culprit.

- You need something concrete-- - I do! I have proof.

Do La-ik had a reason to kill Woo-seong.

How much does the prosecution know?

I'm not sure yet.

I told his lawyer to keep Jae-hee from saying anything for now, but…

And how much does Jae-hee know?

I said, how much does he know?

I don't think he knows about Woo-seong.

If it hurts, tell me.

Okay.

Try moving it.

Are you okay?

It's fine. Doesn't hurt at all.

Good.

Well, great. I don't have to babysit you anymore.

Good for me.

Attorney Maeng.

See? I told you it wasn't him.

You need to quit those detective novels.

I just said it might be possible!

Wait, Se-na.

I'm coming with you.

Just stay home.

- I'm going straight to the office anyway-- - Why?

He should hear it too. He should know who caused this to happen.

Come on.

Don't try to deny it.

It's all on CCTV.

Look.

This is you two, right?

Are you going to keep denying it?

- These are the people? - Yes.

Damn it.

Hey.

- We have met before, right? - You know each other?

You can't abandon us!

Not until we end you!

You're not escaping!

- You two… - You do know each other.

So that story about just messing with some random car,

that was a lie, right?

We had a reason.

- What? - We did it because we had a reason!

You're so brazen.

How can you stand there acting all innocent

after killing our Woo-seong?

A murderer is walking around free

because of her!

That's not right, is it?

That's right.

A lawyer defending scum like him and threatening us.

- She deserves whatever's coming. - Hey!

Someone almost died because of you two.

Someone already died because of him!

Okay, okay.

Everyone, calm down.

You realize you just admitted to intentionally damaging my car, right?

Detective, this isn't just property damage.

Because of them, we ended up in the hospital.

This could be aggravated assault, attempted murder…

Can't we just let them go?

Let them go? Are you kidding me?

We can file for non-prosecution.

Are you sure you want to?

Just promise me one thing.

You can do whatever you want to me…

but don't ever do this to someone else.

Got it?

Are you really okay with letting them go like that?

Yes.

I'm sorry.

This always happens, doesn't it?

Even when they broke into your house, you didn't report them.

So the police never even knew.

If you keep avoiding things like this…

And if I don't avoid it?

What should I do?

If I report them and let an investigation,

they'll do more crazy things.

They act out because they want attention, and when they get it, they escalate.

They'll make up stories, dump them online,

and enjoy the mess they create.

Ruining people is nothing to them.

I just…

I don't want you going through that.

Yes, Ye-sol.

What?

Attorney Maeng.

Where is Attorney Hwang?

Stay here for a moment.

Ye-sol, could you show him to my room, please?

Yes.

The prosecution requested a face-to-face interrogation?

Sit down first.

Come on, sit. Let's talk.

You need to drop this case.

I'm telling you this for your own good.

So what do you mean by that?

Because of something Choi Jae-hee said during his witness interview,

the prosecution started moving.

I can't give you details,

but by now you should have an idea.

The ship you're on is sinking, okay?

And you know this well, right?

In principle, our firm is legal counsel for Goldie Entertainment.

One law firm can't assist two hostile clients in the same matter.

That's a conflict of interest. Right?

But--

No need to argue. The decision's already been made.

And looking at how things are going,

staying on this case will only hurt you.

Public opinion isn't good either.

So you're telling me

to drop my client?

Let's be honest, you're just trying to get your name out there, right?

But this case?

Though it's a celebrity thing,

there's no real money in it, right?

Come on, Attorney Hwang.

Handling this won't benefit you at all.

We're saying this because we care.

Remember that CEO assault case at CheongyI Group?

Looks like we might land it. Right?

- Right. - Yes.

We'll give that one to you. How's that?

"Even if the whole world turns its back,

a lawyer must stand by their client.

That's what a lawyer is."

I became a lawyer because of what you said.

Because I wanted to be the one person

who would hear out someone no one else would believe.

I understand

what you are saying.

But…

I can't abandon this case.

Until it's resolved,

I'll stay away from everyone at Cheon-un and stop coming in.

If even that places a burden on the firm,

I'll leave the rest of the decision to you.

Wait, Attorney Maeng…

I'll be going now.

Look at her, playing hero of justice again.

Don't you agree, sir?

Why is there so much of it?

Wait a second.

Are you done?

What is it? Did something happen?

Choi Jae-hee

had a witness interview with the prosecution.

And two of you will have a face-to-face interrogation.

What are you talking about? A face-to-face?

If they're preparing one,

it likely means

he gave a statement that's unfavorable to you.

The prosecution wants to confirm it directly.

Why would Jae-hee do that?

Do you have any idea?

Why he'd do that or what he might've told them?

We should prepare for every possibility, and see if anyone around you

might back up his statement.

What if I meet Jae-hee myself?

It's not illegal,

but if we contact him while the prosecution

is preparing a confrontation,

they could see it as trying to influence his testimony.

We need to be careful right now.

But

you can meet the person who knows him best.

I don't really know.

When Jae-hee comes, you can just ask him directly…

No.

We're here to talk to you, Young-bin.

Young-bin,

you know he was questioned by the prosecution recently, right?

Did Jae-hee tell you anything about the interview?

Or did anything seem off before or after it?

No, nothing at all.

I really don't know anything.

No.

You do know.

That night, Jae-hee wasn't at the hospital,

but you…

Jae-hee was at the Hospital.

You know that he was hospitalized with me.

You said he was at the hospital.

Why did you do that?

Young-bin,

you need to tell us the truth.

For Kang Woo-seong and for Choi Jae-hee.

We can only get to the bottom of this if you're honest.

I'm sorry.

He just told me to say that…

Then, what exactly happened that night?

That night…

These jerks…

NO ONE WOULD NOTICE IF JAE-HEE LEFT

Come on.

They're just talking. Don't mind it.

Just talking?

Does this look like just talking to you?

It's not the first time. La-ik's fans are just intense.

He makes them like that.

He's controlling them to bash me.

Now what is this?

Gold Boys member Do La-ik held his first solo concert.

The other members were supposed to guest,

but their stage was canceled last minute.

The label blamed sudden health issues,

but insiders say Member B confronted A

before the show and things escalated.

What's the truth?

Someone definitely leaked that.

YOU ARE THE MEMBER B, RIGHT?

This article's Member B, that's you, right?

Leave the group.

Know your place. You're nothing without La-ik.

He seemed a bit upset because of the comments,

but it happens all the time, so I didn't really think much of it.

But then…

I woke up for a moment,

and Jae-hee was gone.

He didn't answer his phone either.

The nation is reeling

after popular idol group member Kang Woo-seong

was found dead.

What's most shocking is that his body was discovered

at the Seoul Gangseong-gu residence of fellow group member Do La-ik.

Police have confirmed

that the two were together on the day of the incident,

and La-ik has been named the prime…

- And then, I saw the news… - He was taken into emergency custody…

…that Woo-seong was gone.

Then, did you ask Jae-hee?

Where he actually went that day?

I did.

But he just told me to say we were at the hospital together.

And since CEO Geum

already announced we were both there, he said to stick to that story.

Why didn't you tell me?

You should have told me!

It's…

La-ik!

Let's stop here for now.

I'll contact you again later.

Are you okay?

What?

Even if it was for Choi Jae-hee,

a lie is still a lie.

And because of that lie,

you could be put in even more danger.

He knew that, and still said nothing.

I think I would've done the same.

Jae-hee and Young-bin have been close since they were trainees.

Like brothers.

How could he tell the truth?

It would've felt like betraying Jae-hee.

Then what about you?

I heard you and Jae-hee didn't get along.

Can I ask why?

Because…

I hurt him.

A lot.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

Wow.

So good.

Why didn't you order seasoned one?

We weren't like that from the beginning.

But like always,

trouble starts with something small.

GOLD BOYS ON MUSIC LIVE ON PROFESSIONALISM SHINES DESPITE HICCUP

STILL LIVING OFF La-ik? DRUMS FELL SHORT

And by the time I realized it,

it was already out of control.

Okay.

Jae-hee, if you're done resting, let's run it once.

What's the point? On music shows, I use a fake stick and hand-sync anyway.

Why bother rehearsing?

Come on.

Don't say that.

Let's try it just once.

Seriously, stop it!

Hey, Choi Jae-hee, what's with you lately?

Skipping practice. Always on your phone.

- Something wrong? - Plenty.

Because of you.

You cut out my entire drum part, said it didn't fit the song.

Shouldn't you at least feel bad about that?

Jae-hee, we all agreed on that.

The title track turned into a ballad.

Your drum part naturally had to get smaller.

That's right.

I get even fewer parts than you.

Exactly! Why do we have to lose all our parts and stand in the back?

Then maybe get better from the start.

I didn't take anything from you. You lost it. Because you couldn't keep up.

- Are you done? - No, there's more.

Everyone knows you go around

saying you want to quit this stuff, you don't need this to make a living.

If that's how you think, then quit.

We won't lose anything without you.

And you know that.

You know exactly where you stand here.

You went too far.

You didn't need to say it like that.

Back then,

I was young and immature.

I treated people badly and threw hurtful words around.

I thought that was the only way to succeed.

I kept thinking…

if someone really held a grudge against me,

who would it be?

Turns out the list is long.

So how can you believe someone like me?

Can you really trust me?

- What if I really did-- - I trust you.

I trust

myself who believes in you.

Wait here. I have something to show you.

Watch carefully.

I believe

in Do La-ik.

I do not believe in Do La-ik.

See that?

This is a tickle tree.

If someone lies,

the leaves shake like this.

Come on, that's impossible.

Possible or not, it doesn't matter.

I believe it.

When this tree grows,

it sheds its bark like this.

When I was little, it looked painful,

so I used to glue the bark back on,

wrap it with bandages.

But one day, my parents told me…

a tree needs to shed its bark to grow.

THE LATE MAENG JIYONG THE LATE PARK SUHEE

It's just…

part of the process.

But one day,

after shedding all its bark,

the tree showed its pale inner layer,

and then…

it started to bloom.

But we're the opposite.

As we grow, we build thicker bark

and hide ourselves inside it.

So we won't get hurt.

So,

when I look at this tree, standing here completely exposed,

I feel like

I can trust what it tells me.

I'm not brave enough yet

to peel off all my bark either.

Maybe that's why I keep asking this tree…

what I really want,

whether I can trust myself,

whether I'll ever be able to bloom too.

When you don't know what to do, I'll let you ask this tree too.

If you hide everything inside, you won't even know what you really want.

I am

handsome.

I am a genius.

I didn't

harm…

Woo-seong.

Ms. Hong Hye-joo…

You…

It's…

How could you do this as a lawyer?

Let's go.

No.

You should leave.

This is…

where I belong.

For La-ik, I've always been his only love.

And it is the same for me.

I don't know why, but I fall apart around you.

Right now,

this is all I can give.

If La-ik is really not the culprit…

Now they suspect me.

What if you found out that someone you really trusted

told you a huge lie?

Explain it.

Subtitle translation by: Alisha