Original subtitles

ALL NAMES, PLACES, AND PRODUCTS ARE FICTIONAL AND DRAMATIZED

AND DO NOT REFLECT REALITY

Did you remember?

Yes. After Lee Seo-jin appeared on Grandpas Over Flowers with a biker bag,

it sold really well for some time.

It was out of stock then, so I stuck it out for years.

I was finally able to buy it when Returns aired.

That's where I met that woman.

That show aired in 2018, so it was five years ago.

Do you remember her name as well?

Yes, her name was…

It's not Mok Ga-hui, is it?

It is! How did you know?

Hey, it's not here.

It's not?

This is driving me nuts.

Why didn't I recognize her at once?

She had a face that's hard to forget. Damn it.

Because she was pretty?

For a different reason.

I found it!

2018 EMPLOYEE EXCLUSIVE SALE

We will begin entry shortly.

Please have your invitation and employee ID ready for a smooth entry.

We will begin entry shortly.

Please have your invitation and employee ID ready…

-Let's start there. -We should've come sooner.

-It's fine-- -What the…

-Ouch! -What the hell?

-She cut in… -What's she doing?

What's with her?

-She should apologize. -It's fine.

She has no decency.

-Let's take it this way. -Okay.

One, two, three!

One, two, three!

Hey, my face looks so big!

-Okay, we'll move up. -You come to the back.

-Oh my! -Oh my gosh!

What are you doing?

-You took my picture. Delete it! -We weren't taking your picture!

-Why are you doing this? -What a crazy bitch!

Why are you doing this?

Keep back.

Your boyfriend bought you that!

Hey, what's she doing with your cell phone?

What's with her?

Hey!

This is a Van Cleef!

The Sweet line isn't available in onyx.

Did your boyfriend buy you a fake, or is he a fake too?

Excuse me! You can't just walk off!

It's fine.

-Seriously? -I'll get it serviced.

She's totally crazy!

Hey, are you okay?

-Just because she was in… -Are you okay?

None show her face, so they're not very useful,

but I sent them anyway.

No, they mean a lot.

Doors closing.

-What the… -What's that smell?

Thank you for visiting Samwol today.

-He smells like trash. -I know, right?

How can he go to a store like that?

-What's he doing in a department store? -God, he stinks!

THE ART OF SARAH

MOK GA-HUI

Sir!

Here.

Mok Ga-hui worked right here

at Samwol Department Store five years ago.

According to Woo Hyo-eun,

Sarah Kim was pushing to get a spot in this place

up until she was murdered.

And the sewer where the body was found is also connected to this place.

What does this place have to do with the murder?

That's what we're here to find out.

What if it's a person, not a place?

What is?

Where the arrow points.

Doors closing.

The police requested information as part of a voluntary investigation.

So Samwol isn't obligated to provide the requested documents

and may be selective in what we submit.

So I was told.

I understand you have a lot to lose.

After all, you own more than anyone else in South Korea.

"Samwol Department Store chairwoman Choi Chae-u

even tricked into signing a lease agreement by con artist."

The lease agreement in question

was reviewed and deemed invalid by our MD Team.

We've already addressed the issue by disciplining the employee responsible,

per our internal regulations.

So I was told.

If that's the case,

it means you were aware

that Sarah Kim was a con artist.

The security footage could help identify the suspect,

but they won't share it.

They're a major company.

We need irrefutable evidence

for things like a summons or a search warrant.

From this moment on,

we're tracking down Mok Ga-hui, who worked at Samwol five years ago.

The more connections with Choi, the better.

Wait, Mok Ga-hui?

Don't tell me it's that Mok Ga-hui?

It's here somewhere…

Who's "that" Mok Ga-hui?

I shared an office with the cybercrime team

when I was stationed at Namdaemun.

I heard that name endlessly, so I remember it.

WANTED FUGITIVE

She was hiding right here.

REWARD UP TO 5 MILLION WON WANTED FUGITIVE FOR FRAUD

PERSONAL INFORMATION: MOK GA-HUI (F, 26) TATTOO NEAR ANKLE

Are you looking for this?

The Cheongdam Goddess scam case.

She listed luxury goods as second-hand and built trust with buyers,

then took the money and vanished.

She swindled a whopping 500 million won.

Are these all the documents you have?

What about fingerprints or DNA evidence?

It's like I'm being audited.

You're from Violent Crimes, right? What's going on?

We suspect Mok Ga-hui to be the victim of a recent murder.

I think you're mistaken.

Mok Ga-hui died five years ago.

She committed suicide by jumping.

It was for a common reason.

Financial hardship.

She was heavily in debt to loan sharks,

apparently from buying hordes of luxury goods.

She left the place a total mess, but soaked her suicide note in perfume.

It was downright insane.

See the shiny thing she's holding tightly as she jumps?

That's a limited edition too.

The damn thing must've been dear to her. She couldn't let it go, even in death.

-Was the body recovered? -No.

She went missing, so the case was suspended.

That means it became a cold case, so why did you conclude she was dead?

The reason and circumstances were clear, and a suicide note was found.

Most importantly, there was no evidence she was alive.

Even if someone lives like a ghost,

they still leave traces

like hospital visits, bank accounts, or delivery-app records.

But there was nothing.

CHEONGDAM GODDESS SCAM CASE SUICIDE NOTE

Could they really be two different people?

Similar physical description and criminal offense type.

Do you think that's all a coincidence?

We have no evidence she's alive, but none that she's dead either.

If she had been impersonating Sarah Kim for the past five years,

it makes sense she was declared missing.

Do you know The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith?

No.

Right after the book was published, an anonymous Twitter user

claimed Robert was just J.K. Rowling's pen name.

After some debate, it was revealed that the two were the same person. How?

By the book's prologue.

"Unhappy is he whose fame makes his misfortunes famous."

Because of the quote by Lucius Accius.

Lucius is Malfoy's father's name,

and who's the classic case of fame making one's misfortune famous too?

Harry Potter!

Even language has fingerprints. All we need is one sentence.

No, we just need one word.

-But Mok never wrote a book. -She did write something else.

The suicide note!

Wait, did you steal that?

What do you mean by "steal"? I found it on the floor.

I'm giving you fair warning.

We'll make countless enemies the moment I open this.

We'd be attacking the errors

of the case team, the courts, and the prosecution.

So if you want out, now's your chance.

I tend to be quite daring.

We're not leaving until we find a lead.

Yes, sir.

People trust others knowing they shouldn't,

trust themselves, believing they'll be different,

believe the world, thinking it'll be different this time,

and believe in lies even while knowing everything is a lie.

Mok Ga-hui?

You're 27?

Usually they don't hire such old newbies.

Do you have this one size up?

What do you think?

Who's going to buy anything from a salesperson who's a large?

Don't ever use the client bathrooms.

The same goes for the elevators and the escalators.

That can trigger complaints for causing discomfort,

so don't even hint at it in front of the clients.

Just say you're on a break.

These are this season's new releases. Learn them by this weekend.

I don't need until the weekend.

-I've already memorized them all. -But they're not even in Korea yet.

I just like how knowing more lets you see and understand more.

You won't last long here.

People who talk like that always disappear and quit.

No.

I'm here to stay for good.

Fellow Samwol family members,

we will be ready to serve our valuable clients in ten minutes.

Please complete all preparations.

Announcement from the control room.

Fellow Samwol family members,

thank you for your hard work today.

Please unplug all devices in the store and turn off the power before you leave.

Please ensure all high-value display items are properly secured.

Please report any issues to the control room as soon as they occur.

Ga-hui.

What are you doing here?

How do you think the rich became rich?

Well, they were born that way, don't you think?

You know, I have a dream now.

I want to become a person who suits this bag.

That might be possible if you had one meal a day for ten years.

Well, let's think about that after we close up, shall we?

Come on. Hurry up.

God, this is seriously driving me crazy.

Something big is coming. Something big.

Are you all religious?

Pray. Even if you're not.

Please let it be anyone but me.

Why? What's going on?

Regardless of the reason,

any inventory discrepancy is considered a loss.

And we make up the full amount.

That's Samwol Department Store's policy.

So pray.

October 14th.

Who closed up that day?

-October… -Fourteenth…

OCTOBER 14, SUNDAY CLOSING SHIFT: MOK GA-HUI

Misfortune struck without warning, like a disaster.

Why did you leave your station?

Was it something important?

It had better have been something very important.

At least then you'd feel less wronged.

I was on a break.

Couldn't you have held it in?

I'd been holding it in all day.

This wouldn't have happened if staff could use client bathrooms.

It's a long walk through the back hall to the staff bathroom,

but even then, there's a line.

The basement one is less crowded, but I have to take the staff elevator,

which is also around the back hallway, and it stops on every floor, so I have to…

Damn it.

I have to wait through the long ride.

Going to the bathroom was such a struggle.

I mean, it's just the bathroom.

It was only once.

What can I do? That's the store policy.

You know that we can't recover the items even if she's caught.

I swear it's a better world for criminals.

Just think of it as an expensive life lesson learned.

How

much do I have to pay?

Fifty million won.

Ouch.

Ouch.

Where did things go wrong?

-Add one A! -Okay.

Five, you said? Add two more.

Got one more B.

All right. Dessert served to table two.

Get the sauce ready.

Two steaks going out to table four.

Where did things go wrong?

Didn't know you smoked.

I started.

I figured this was my only way to get breaks.

Here.

The girls and I all pitched in a bit.

It's not much, but I hope it helps.

See you later.

Where did things go wrong?

Are you sure you won't regret it? We can't pay you even if it bombs.

Just make sure you pay me properly.

Okay, I'm practicing script tattoos.

Is there a specific phrase you'd like?

Where did things go wrong?

After thinking it over, I found my way back to when I was born.

TO BE OPERATED BY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY

Ma'am, are you going to the employee sale?

It coincides with my in-laws' ancestral rites.

-Oh no! -Damn that husband of mine.

-It's supposed to be the best ever. -Don't ever get married.

Oh my.

Yes, perfect!

Ga-hui, would you like to earn some money?

Sorry?

There's going to be an employee sale for store staff.

Luxury goods at those prices are a steal.

If you manage to make purchases on my behalf,

I'll compensate you generously.

Mok Ga-hui of Samwol Department Store.

You may enter.

Lee Hyeon-suk of Samwol Department Store.

Samwol Department…

Bags!

Please be careful.

At that moment, I saw a ray of hope for my life too.

What are you doing?

I'll buy it. Wait, hold on.

No, I'm buying it!

-I grabbed it. -What's with you?

PLEASE ENTER YOUR NICKNAME

CHEONGDAM GODDESS

JOIN

WELCOME TO NOBILITY

SELLING CHEAP DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES NO WEAR AND TEAR

OPEN TO NEGOTIATION

POST

COMMENTS

Samwol Department Store's First Lounge

ensures that our most valued clients can relax comfortably while shopping

by offering various services…

NO COMMENTS

MANAGER OH SEON-JEONG ON A BREAK?

HURRY, THE BOSS IS HERE

I'm about to burst!

Hurry!

So gross.

Why are you going to the bathroom so often?

I feel better now.

It's because I took enzymes.

It's a group-buy item from Gemma, and it sold out.

Really?

Should I get some too?

You know, this vintage Chanel bag Gemma carries is sold out.

Where did she get it?

I can't seem to find it anywhere.

Yeah, that one's pretty.

She takes good pictures.

They urge you to buy it right away. She has over a million followers.

That's understandable. Her posts make you want to buy the items.

GEMMA

SELLING SINCE I GOT THE SAME BAG AS A GIFT

THIS ITEM IS HARD TO FIND THESE DAYS, SO I'VE ADDED A PREMIUM

POST

I'LL BUY IT. I CAN PAY NOW

IS IT NEW? PRISTINE CONDITION?

AUTHENTIC? ALL COMPONENTS INCLUDED?

I'LL BUY IT! PLEASE!

I REALLY WANTED THIS ONE

PLEASE MESSAGE ME!

FOR EXECUTIVES, EMPLOYEES, AND PARTNER COMPANIES

SAMWOL GROUP YEAR-END SALE FOR EMPLOYEES AND EXECUTIVES

God, where did my employee ID go?

Did you happen to see my ID?

No, I haven't seen it.

Please have your employee ID and invitation ready in advance.

MOBILE INVITATION

TRANSACTION COMPLETE

PRETTY IMPULSE BUY NOT MY USUAL STYLE

-All good upstairs? -Yes, things look absolutely fine.

I'm sorry for the delay.

What is this?

Fifty million won.

What?

I'll get changed.

I mean, this is…

Oh, you got a tattoo.

What does it mean?

Splendid melancholy.

"Splendid melancholy"?

It's like "miserable rich" or "beautiful trash."

Right now, I feel like miserable, melancholic trash.

What if money made money? 50 million becomes 500 million,

then 500 million becomes 5 billion.

The one choice

That will change your life

They say the jingling sound of the charms brings you luck.

Do you think it suits me?

Of course. It's perfect for you.

I'll take it.

We don't have any in stock for now.

It may take a while for you to receive it. Would that be all right?

Why ask? What will you do if it's not okay?

I apologize.

Never mind. Here's the deposit.

Yes. Please wait just a moment.

I'm afraid you can't purchase these.

Sorry? Why not?

You can only purchase up to two million won per person.

Since when?

The brand implemented a purchasing limit due to illegal invitation issues.

Apparently, dealers were caught reselling the items recently.

So, would you like to buy up to the two-million-won limit?

REMINDER FOR MOK X-HUI

PRINCIPAL DUE: 01/07/19

PRINCIPAL: ₩50,000,000 RATE: 24%

THE ONE CAPITAL

It's 50 million won.

Come on. Damn it.

There's money missing.

That's 50 million won. I brought the principal right back.

Exactly.

Why only bring back the principal? What about the interest?

Well, you see…

Something came up, so I can't pay it back right away.

Whatever it takes, I'll have it by next month.

Will you be okay with it?

By next month, you'll have more interest to pay.

Look, why don't you just pay it off now?

I'll lend it to you.

Hey.

Here we go.

Give me your thumb.

-Ouch! -Okay, relax.

That's a good girl.

Here you go. Come on, take it.

Here's me lending you the money,

and me receiving it.

Thank you again for using our services today,

Mok Ga-hui of Samwol Department Store.

Interest piled up, and 5 million became 50 million,

then 50 million became 500 million.

Pay back the money!

Listen, everyone.

A bitch who refuses to pay back the money she owes

works in the luxury section of the Samwol Department Store.

Mok Ga-hui!

Hey! Damn it!

Stop right there!

Out of the way!

Mok Ga-hui!

Hey, Ga-hui. Mok Ga-hui.

Fucking hell.

You really think she's in there?

Hurry up!

No matter how hard I try to escape, I find myself in a deeper abyss.

Take care of the inventory for now.

And don't let me catch sight of you.

Where there is light, there is darkness.

Why did I have to be the darkness?

VALUED CLIENT MOK GA-HUI YOUR BAG IS READY FOR PICKUP

Please!

Fuck.

What did I ever do that was so wrong?

Why are you doing this to me?

Why?

You've got to burn to shine.

MOK GA-HUI

Run.

This is not a place for you.

I have decided to kill myself today.

MOK GA-HUI

But before I died, I wanted to prove that I had existed.

Where the hell is Ga-hui?

-Seon-jeong, aren't you her friend? -Well, I…

-I can't reach her. -You what?

Try calling her.

That little…

-Oh God! -I'm sorry.

How would you like this handled?

Just put it down as a disturbance caused by a sprinkler malfunction.

Processing request.

Your transaction is complete. Please…

Though I will be shattered,

I shall do so brilliantly.

MOK GA-HUI

"Fuck it."

"I love you."

Luxury goods?

I really do like you.

Yet I really hate you.

Still…

I love you.

Even so, I hate you.

However,

I want to possess you.

But I hate you.

Nevertheless,

I want to be with you forever.

I wonder how you really feel?

Do you think it's a love-hate thing? It might be surprisingly human.

Professing love and hate without using conjunctions.

Ugly but beautiful.

-This is more human. -It doesn't contradict what we know.

It's complex and ever-changing, exactly like Sarah Kim.

I mean, like Mok Ga-hui.

She gets 500 million won overnight and then commits suicide?

Now there's a contradiction. Where did all the money disappear to?

But no matter how many times I read this,

not a single sentence suggests Sarah Kim wrote it.

What if we flip it…

and try to find Mok Ga-hui from Sarah Kim?

There have to be traces of her, even if she pretends to be someone else.

A rose will still smell like a rose, no matter what name you call it by.

LUXURY GOODS

SPLENDID MELANCHOLY

What if we look for Mok Ga-hui among these?

Luxury goods.

Splendid melancholy. Handbags.

Maybe it needs to be more intuitive,

or maybe it's where the three overlap.

A luxury bag

that introduced her to a feeling of splendid melancholy…

Do you recall the bag Mok had when she committed suicide?

Yes, the really shiny one.

I found it, sir.

It's the 2018 Lady Dior Collection.

YOU GOT TO BURN TO SHINE

THOUGH I WILL BE SHATTERED, I SHALL DO SO BRILLIANTLY

The phrases match the suicide note.

What date did you say Cheongdam Goddess posted that?

Wait, give me a second.

I GOT THE LUXURY BOUDOIR BAG LOVED BY EUROPEAN ROYALS FOR 100 YEARS

December 26, 2018, the day Mok Ga-hui committed suicide.

And when was Sarah Kim first seen?

According to Jeong Yeo-jin's statement,

that was also December 26, 2018.

Now we know what happened to the money.

Mok Ga-hui didn't want to die.

She wanted to live differently.

No matter how hard she tried, her reality never changed.

She clung to the illusion of luxury goods

until she fell down the abyss.

That's when she decided.

If she couldn't change reality,

she would change herself.

Just as J.K. Rowling became Robert Galbraith,

Mok Ga-hui became Sarah Kim.

And the Lady Dior, which was hugely symbolic for Mok…

became Boudoir.

I told you to catch a killer, not go around wasting your time.

And what's all this about Dior?

Are you saying a dead person has come back to life?

A sloppy investigation

has turned a living person into a dead one.

-What? -It wasn't concrete.

The evidence only hinted at Mok's suicide. They never searched the reservoir.

It's not too late to search and confirm.

If a body is not found,

we can prove Mok didn't commit suicide.

And this suicide note will serve

as justification for the search.

If they do find a body,

what will you do then?

Tell me.

After rallying people in this weather to make a fuss

and mocking another team by reopening a closed case, huh?

There's no chance a body will be found.

It's unfortunate when an investigator decides the outcome from the start.

Did you give up on everything after being passed over?

I'm hanging on to this case because I haven't given up.

So why the hell are you hanging on to this case and not me?

I'm the one who makes personnel decisions.

That suicide note gives me justification.

That's enough. You can go now.

Have you ever seen this person?

I can't say. We get a lot of customers.

FUCK IT. I LOVE YOU

Fuck it.

I love you.

Fuck it. I love you.

FUCK IT. I LOVE YOU MY LOVE DAMNED IT ALL

WITH JI-HWON

It's all there in the notebook.

The secrets, tastes, and even minor habits of the VIPs I managed.

A REGULAR AT A MALE HOST BAR

FELL FOR MALE ESCORT KANG JI-HWON MADE HIM HER PERSONAL ASSISTANT

It wasn't Choi Chae-u.

It was Kang Ji-hwon.

Did you bring a warrant?

No, but I brought something else.

Sarah Kim and Kang Ji-hwon.

It turns out they were former lovers.

Are you saying they conspired to deceive me?

Well, we'll find out once we investigate.

And to do that, we need your cooperation.

If you want the security footage, you're too late.

We've replaced the system.

Never mind that.

I noticed you own an aquarium as well.

Would you mind giving me a fish?

Sir!

Where have you been? You've been out of reach since yesterday.

Fishing.

What? Seriously?

This is no time for hobbies.

What did the section chief say? Will he let us search the reservoir?

No. I'm going to drop that.

What?

That's it?

You're just accepting it without a fight?

What do you expect me to say in protest?

Do I say, "I haven't found anything yet, but I'd like to keep investigating"?

That's all the more reason to prove it!

In times like these, you should listen, not defy.

I'm not defying you.

But I won't listen either.

You should at least do one of the two.

Then you might find something instead of whining.

You're right.

That's why I plan to do things my way.

Is that what you ordered from Coupang?

-What is that anyway? -Isn't that an oxygen tank?

Is that doing things your way? Jumping in blind?

Where are you going, kid?

He's defying me, right?

Hey, bring it over here!

Right there. Yes.

Bring it here!

Hurry!

Yes, we've got it.

Excuse me, sir, but this area is off-limits to the public.

Please leave.

What's going on?

Last night, a fisherman reported seeing piranhas in here.

We're draining it.

Please leave.

Are you done wasting time?

This way!

What's all this?

Coffee.

Piranhas in the middle of winter?

Are you behind all this?

Justification.

Keep sending it over.

Over here!

Over here!

Quick! Hurry up!

I wish I could be born again.

Where did things go wrong?

Excuse me.

Where did things go wrong?

Subtitle translation by: Yung Un Choi