Original subtitles

[This drama is a work of fiction.]

[Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is coincidental.]

[Scenes with child actors and animals were filmed safely]

[under professional supervision.]

[Episode 8]

Bang Tae Seop is gaining fast,

[Bang Tae Seop goes all in for final push] hot on Park Hong Jip's heels.

Park Hong Jip holds 31.6%,

Bang Tae Seop sits at 29.7%.

With the Dongnam-gap race tightening,

a growing number of polls forecast

[Chu's boost narrows race to margin of error] a win for Bang Tae Seop,

and voters across the district are up for grabs.

Park's side is fighting to defend its lead,

while Bang's team says momentum has shifted

and goes on the attack.

Every stock that's been falling apart

bounces right back once you let it go.

He keeps crossing my mind.

Bang Tae Seop.

Bang Tae Seop.

[From Bang Tae Seop, Sir]

Is someone watching me?

Did someone put a camera in here or something?

[Sir, here's an update on Lee Yang Mi]

What is she pulling this time?

[Bang Tae Seop]

Bang Tae Seop...

No.

Absolutely not.

If I reach out first, I lose.

I was reckless back then.

What is this?

I do regret it.

As you should.

Trust me, I already do.

Lee Yang Mi's up to something lately.

You're really going to let that slide?

Not a chance.

That's why I'm teaming up with you to bring her down.

I've got all the paperwork you requested.

That movie Lee Yang Mi's producing,

it's budgeted at 30 billion won,

but actual production spending

comes in below 10 billion.

So 20 billion just vanishes.

That's Son Guk Won's slush fund money, right?

With the presidency coming up,

she's using the movie to clean cash?

Exactly.

One word of this hits the press, it's over.

She chose Sang Ah since there's no risk to her own people,

and made her the sacrificial lamb.

We use this to strike Lee Yang Mi first.

Don't touch the film.

Why not?

Sang Ah catches shrapnel from that, too.

Knowing the inside story is enough.

We need something big enough to cover it.

For now,

arrange a sit-down with Assemblyman Choi.

Assemblyman Choi? No problem.

There's...

something I've been working on quietly.

Okay.

The dust. Seriously.

This dust is killing me.

This isn't an abduction, right?

What would I even do with you?

The death of the Daeyang Fund CEO, Yoon,

who built Son Guk Won's slush fund.

That's always been Son Guk Won's weak spot.

The party threw everything at it,

but never found a way in.

The day CEO Yoon was set

to meet a reporter to expose Son Guk Won,

he died in a car wreck.

It was written off as sudden acceleration,

but everyone suspected he was killed.

Word was, there's someone called "the Shadow"

doing all of Son Guk Won's dirty work.

Right, we went after the Shadow ourselves,

and came up empty.

Here's the thing.

We tracked him down.

For real?

This is Shadow intel

from a senior prosecutor who dug

into Son Guk Won at the time.

[Evidence of Suspect Park Jae Hyun's Illegal Transactions Uncovered]

This individual works as Son Guk Won's aide right now.

This guy is the Shadow?

98% sure.

99%.

The Shadow's exit records overlap

with slush money routed to offshore accounts

that dropped off the radar.

That proves the Shadow works for Son Guk Won.

So we frame the Shadow

as the one behind CEO Yoon's death

and pry open the Daeyang Fund slush.

Now,

if Bang hands that to the Changjo Party,

the presidential race is already won.

Naturally, that deserves something in return.

As long as the source is solid, fine.

For the general election,

the party's full support

plus Assemblyman Gu's rally appearances. And then...

I want a guarantee

for the Chief of Staff position in your camp for the next run.

Why are you being so small-time?

- Guess you don't want the intel. - No.

Done.

Do me a favor before you retire.

Step one, we convince the Shadow that Son Guk Won sold him out.

Splitting Son Guk Won

and the Shadow apart, that's on you.

[Son Guk Won: Jae Hyun's been my shadow for a long time]

[I've entrusted him with many tasks]

By the way,

how did you know I was drafting my resignation?

You told me if they skipped you again,

you'd walk away from the prosecution.

[Assemblyman Choi Hak Sun]

Pay him a visit. He'll give you a position.

Okay.

Just like old times.

Hello.

So, you're the legendary Shadow.

What a pleasure to finally meet you.

Once we pull forensics

off the victim's phone, it all comes to light.

So why don't we cut to it?

We can prove you were on the phone

with CEO Yoon just before his death.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

What's your point here?

Forensics, whatever you want, be my guest.

None of you

can lay a finger on me.

This time might be different.

The person who gave you up?

Came from your own side.

The proof was strong enough

to justify picking you up on the spot.

[Assemblyman Son Guk Won]

This guy keeps calling. So annoying.

Calling Son Guk Won would be a mistake.

Son Guk Won

already cut you loose.

You all

have no idea who Assemblyman Son is.

He'd never discard me this way.

He'd have me killed.

It's not the same this time.

If I were him, with a presidential run ahead,

I'd clean house with people like you

who know where the bodies are buried.

That locks down the presidency

and the whole time in office,

with nobody holding anything over him.

The second Son Guk Won rose as a contender, he was ready to drop you.

CEO Yoon's accident, the timing was right,

so he fed you to the prosecutors.

Enough with the fairy tales.

Keep playing loyal, then.

You'll be the devoted mutt who saw it coming

and still obeyed, only to get tossed aside,

left to rot behind bars

for the rest of your days.

Look.

The only way you walk out of here is

if you turn over every piece of evidence.

Son Guk Won takes the fall,

gets a proper investigation. That's your only move.

If you had hard evidence I murdered CEO Yoon,

you'd have come straight at me.

None of these back-channel tactics

would've been necessary, right?

So what that tells me is,

you're holding an empty hand.

Well?

Am I off the mark?

Hey.

This is my final offer

to keep you alive.

It's your call.

And everything that follows,

that's on you, too.

A new chapter for Dongnam-gap.

Cast your vote for Bang Tae Seop.

[Gu Hong Seo, campaign chair, stumps for Bang Tae Seop]

- Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

- Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

- Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

- Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

[Changjo Party eyes first win] - Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

[over Doyak in Dongnam-gap] - Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

This way.

[Full Script Reading and Production Ritual for Four Seasons]

Over here.

Hello.

- Hello. - Hello.

Thank you for making the trip.

Why isn't she here yet?

I've been trying to reach her.

[Four Seasons, Hwang Jeong Won as Yu Hwa] Are you sure you gave her the exact time?

Yes, I am.

But why would she...

Now that we're all present, let's start the read-through.

There's an intimate scene scheduled for the first day,

which I realize is uncomfortable for both of you,

but the director thinks, emotionally,

that rawness actually plays better on screen,

so moving things around wasn't really an option.

It's fine by me.

You're okay with it, right?

I asked if you're okay.

Well, I'm not.

Did the director get lost?

I'll step out for a second.

Want a drink?

How have you been?

What about you, senior?

Senior?

Once that whole thing was over,

I vanished, and you could breathe again.

But now that I'm back,

I guess it's hitting you.

Yeah.

It does hit different.

I knew you'd show up someday,

just didn't expect it to be like this.

You were the one who wanted to work together.

Tell me,

what's your connection to Director Lee?

What did she offer you

to put you in this movie?

What am I even capable of?

You know who I am.

And you know where I come from.

[Case Summary Report]

[Hwang Jeong Won fatally stabbed Yoon Chul Ho]

[in the abdomen in a serious violent crime]

[Crime Scene Photo, Exhibit No. 1]

[Suspect Hwang confessed to the crime immediately after her arrest]

Chu Sang Ah...

Ms. Chu...

The same way you played Park Jae Sang seven years ago,

were you putting on a show for me, too?

You were hoping I'd do

exactly what he did, weren't you?

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

I've already briefed the Director,

so just move forward with the plan.

Yeah.

Director, this is a late visit...

First day on set, right?

I'm here to cheer on the actors.

That means a lot.

- Everyone's doing well. - Thanks.

Ready.

Action!

Cut.

Okay.

That's good. Moving on to the next setup.

That's solid material right there.

Nice job, everybody.

Strong first day.

We've got a winner on our hands.

Set up a nice gathering

- and give the actors some praise. - Sure.

If there's anything you need, just say the word.

- You're doing great. - Thank you.

Well, if it isn't candidate Bang!

Stopping by for your wife, as busy as you are.

Thank you all for the hard work.

Everything all right?

Yeah.

Hwang Jeong Won?

Nice to meet you.

Yes, nice to meet you as well.

I've read about you and heard quite a bit.

Same here. Your name comes up often.

Please take care of...

my wife on set.

Of course.

You must be cold.

Yeah.

How sweet.

I'm turning down

your offer.

Where's all this confidence coming from?

Whatever you've been doing, I told you.

The higher you go, the worse the crash.

You have a safety net lined up?

Give it time, and you'll find out.

Then again,

a man who betrayed his own wife will never change.

Back in your prosecutor days,

that legal fight over Sang Ah's agency contract.

What does that have to do with anything?

You're the one who engineered that.

All right.

I set up the tax evasion leak, sure.

But I looked into it,

and you were aware of it all along.

The Chief Prosecutor

promised to promote you if you buried it,

so you just swept it under the rug, right?

Careful what you say.

I stepped aside because I had no way to fight you then.

The game has changed.

This time I've got a hand you can't beat.

Is that so?

You have no clue what cards I'm sitting on,

and you're calling for a showdown?

What's with you?

Getting cold feet?

If you're so sure, lay them on the table.

I expected a tiger,

but all I got was a stray pup.

The general election,

and Sang Ah's movie. Keep your hands off both.

[Bang Tae Seop]

Want to grab a drink?

Come here.

These are the people you'll be running with,

[Changjo Party] so get acquainted.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, the whole crew's here.

Good to meet you all.

Sit down, please.

- Get him a glass. - Right away.

- This is a sure thing, right? - Absolutely.

Thank you.

Let's all have a drink.

- Well done. - Well done.

We've got great energy. Everything's going to work out.

Seoam's Dongnam-gap continues to be a fierce contest,

with the outcome hanging by a thread.

The latest survey results reveal

only a 0.6-point spread

separating the leading two candidates.

[Seoam Dongnam-gap Poll Summary] Doyak's Park Hong Jip stands at 32.2%,

while Changjo's Bang Tae Seop

[Park Hong Jip, Bang Tae Seop] comes in at 32.8%,

edging past Park Hong Jip

in a contest that could go either way.

After 30 years of defeat in this district,

the unthinkable has happened.

Bang Tae Seop has at last

surpassed the Doyak Party in Dongnam-gap.

- Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

- Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

- Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

Thank you all!

I'll carry this energy and write a new chapter!

- Cheers! - Cheers!

[Unknown Caller]

- Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

- Bang Tae Seop! - Bang Tae Seop!

You wrecked a person's life, and you're living large.

You're the prick who hung around Hwang Jeong Won, right?

You pulled her into this in the first place.

If something goes wrong, you're the first one I deal with.

Start with what's going on.

Hwang Jeong Won

got trapped because of the Park Jae Sang case.

The casting, everything, it was all a sham.

She walked right into a trap.

Enough. Who has leverage on her, and what is it?

Spit it out, you piece of shit.

Hey, hello?

Hello?

What was Bang Tae Seop to you?

He was someone I owed a great deal to.

Someone you owed a great deal to...

Right.

Even if we've ended up here,

he and I both,

we may have once been good people.

Let me give you the answer

to what you asked me then.

When it came to Park Jae Sang, yeah...

those feelings were real.

To get away from the ones who ruined me and my friend,

I turned into something monstrous

that devoured someone else.

I believed if I suffered enough for it,

I could finally get out.

But when he caught up with me again, I understood

the only way out was death.

That's the reason.

If anyone discovered me,

I hoped it wouldn't be Bang Tae Seop.

I wished it'd be you instead.

That's everything.

Not sure that's the answer you were looking for.

Either way,

no matter what my reasons were,

I was only thinking of myself.

I'm sorry.

The reason I brought it up was

I was afraid you were still blaming yourself.

I chose to go there on my own,

and I needed you to hear

that none of it is on you.

I'm sure this isn't news to you,

but I went to kill Park Jae Sang.

I need to use the restroom, give me a second.

[Bang Tae Seop]

[Find Sang Ah's location. I'm asking if you found her]

[Recents]

Shit!

This is fun.

It's fun.

Why did you kill him?

Park Jae Sang.

It wasn't me.

But the way things stand,

maybe it needs to be you who killed him.

For me, Bang Tae Seop

is more than a husband. He's my ally.

He's my family.

My father passed when I was little,

and I was raised by a fierce single mom,

so the meaning of family and warmth was lost on me.

He never stopped having faith in me,

stayed right beside me,

and rooted for me. Knowing that kind of bond,

he's the one who taught me what that means

for my life.

So,

what does your wife mean to you?

Right from our very first meeting,

I sensed something familiar in her.

As our conversations deepened,

I had this instinct that together,

we could support one another

through whatever came our way.

If she hadn't been there,

I wouldn't be the man standing here today.

Though they once faced a scandal-fueled crisis,

the pair's united front through hardship

has been a major factor driving his approval ratings.

This wave of support has deepened public confidence in Bang

[Turning Crisis into Opportunity] and appears to have cemented the arrival

[Bang Tae Seop Leads in Dongnam-gap] of the rising political force, Bang Tae Seop.

Unless something unexpected occurs,

this race appears to be Bang Tae Seop's to win.

Rushing here right after work, you must be beat.

How about a beer?

I'm shooting tomorrow.

I'm wiped out. I'm turning in.

Why Hwang Jeong Won disappeared after the Park Jae Sang case...

What's going on?

If I don't do what they say, they pin Park Jae Sang on me.

One more murder rap, and it's over for me.

Lee Yang Mi has dirt on her and is pulling her strings.

So?

Do you have a read on how this is playing out?

Do I have to spell it all out for you?

Choi Ji Ho coming and going from the set bugs me.

So now that I've told you this much, do something about it.

The election's the day after tomorrow.

Can you clean this up after it blows?

Have you lost your mind?

What the hell do you want from me?

I've missed you.

Since that day,

I haven't gone one day without thinking of you.

That night,

if you believed I felt something for you,

that was in your head.

I was in pain, and I wasn't thinking straight,

and all I wanted was someone to hold on to.

Don't you want to break free?

How much longer can you keep this up?

Sorry, Director.

End of roll.

27, 10, 3.

Are you feeling okay?

I'm lightheaded. Give me a minute.

- You all right? - Let's take a quick break

- and then get back to it. - Are you okay?

Your wife's routine has been normal.

With your ratings going up, WR looks like they're

doubling down on her commercials and the movie press.

Understood.

[Major Buzz: Sang Ah and Newcomer Jeong Won to Star in "Four Seasons."]

Why Hwang Jeong Won disappeared after the Park Jae Sang case...

Lee Yang Mi has dirt on her and is pulling her strings.

Whatever you've been doing, I told you.

The higher you go, the worse the crash.

Damn it.

I can smell Lee Yang Mi all over this.

I'm losing my mind over this.

She's building up to something.

Choi Ji Ho moving around all of a sudden is shady, too.

It feels like she's ready to hit Chu Sang Ah

timed to the general election.

Do we know when Lee Yang Mi plans to strike?

Word from her inner circle is

she's set to drop it on election day.

Sang Ah may be the target,

but I'm the one she's really after.

She's trying to knock me out of the race

so Son Guk Won can use me as a shield through the presidential run.

What about reaching out to Assemblyman Choi?

The party isn't about to put itself on the line

by taking on that level of exposure for me.

If this election doesn't go my way,

they'll milk the Shadow intel I handed over

and throw me out.

I'll get dropped without a second thought.

Damn.

If that's how Lee Yang Mi wants to play it,

then I'm forced to take her on directly.

I put my cards on the table

and make her back down before she acts.

So you want to use the Son Guk Won Daeyang Fund card,

now, in this race, instead of holding it for the presidency?

We're out of options.

That's risky.

Way too risky.

If this backfires, it takes all of us with it.

That's precisely why I need to act now.

All right.

Say we release it on election day.

But,

if the whole operation collapses,

are you prepared to lose the party for good?

Clean or dirty, a win means the party needs me.

So while there's still time,

I'm taking the fight to Lee Yang Mi.

[Clean Election! No Fraud, No Mudslinging]

[Financial Election Fraud OUT]

Lee Yang Mi and Son Guk Won own every reporter in town.

- Great job. - On a bombshell like this,

who's brave enough to run a counter-story?

Great job.

I know a reporter

whose father invested in the Daeyang Fund

and lost everything.

If it's about Son Guk Won, he'll jump at it.

[Change Begins Here! A New Dongnam]

[No. 2 Bang Tae Seop]

[22nd National Assembly Election, D-Day]

Election day for the 22nd National Assembly

[Dongnam Polling Station No. 1] is here.

At Dongnam Polling Station No. 1,

residents have been streaming in since dawn.

With so many variables in play, Dongnam-gap,

[Safe Community, Clean Dongnam] Changjo against Doyak,

Bang Tae Seop against Park Hong Jip,

which side takes the win

is still up in the air in this high-profile showdown.

You're here.

This spot right here has been hallowed ground since the Joseon era,

where prayers were offered for the king's health.

You came without your phone, like I said?

A day like today,

being plugged into the world out there

would just eat you alive.

That's why I wanted you here.

And I've got a treat for you.

Let's go.

[Choi Ji Ho] Bang Tae Seop is dropping the bomb at seven.

[Ready]

[Reporter Hwang]

[Ready]

[Classified Internal Document: Son Guk Won, Daeyang Fund Allegations]

[Get ready]

[Son Guk Won.Daeyang Fund. Yoon Sang Hyun.Transcript.Final]

[Action!]

Okay. Here we go!

[Can Presidential Candidate Son Guk Won Be Trusted?]

[Son Guk Won's Financial Fraud Rocks the Nation]

[Public Fury as Son Guk Won's Slush Fund Documents Surface!]

[The Mystery Behind CEO Yoon's Death: Who is the Mastermind?]

[Son Guk Won's Stock Rigging Exposed in Leaked Audio]

[The Financial Fraud of Presidential Candidate Son Guk Won]

[The Daeyang Fund: What is Son Guk Won hiding?]

[Son Guk Won's Financial Fraud Rocks the Nation]

It's bleeding. Wait.

Hey, go and... no, forget it.

- I'll go find it myself. - I'll go with you.

Where is it?

[Son Guk Won Daeyang Fund recordings released]

[Son Guk Won: Korea's biggest financial fraud]

[Stock rigger Son Guk Won: Should he still run for president?]

[The Daeyang Fund: What is Son Guk Won hiding?]

[Ready]

[Choi Ji Ho]

Hello.

Hello.

[Leaked Documents Confirm Son Guk Won's Stock Rigging Orders]

[Official Records of Son Guk Won's Slush Fund Built on Public Suffering]

[Did Son Guk Won Pull the Strings in CEO Yoon's Fatal Case?]

[Did Son Guk Won Pull the Strings in CEO Yoon's Fatal Case?]

[Changjo Party Assemblyman Choi Hak Sun]

Today's news is

about the card Bang Tae Seop was saving for the presidential race

by joining Gu Hong Seo's camp later.

That's why

I'm about to make my own big play right now.

Rather than fighting a wildfire later,

I let it come out now

and smother the spark before it spreads.

It's smarter to get hit first.

That's right.

Wait and see.

Bang Tae Seop

will be on his knees before long.

Ready.

Three.

Two.

One.

Action!

Action!

[Post]

[Checking video]

[Video]

[Video has been shared]

[Views]

[No description added to this video]

I think the projector's sitting too low.

I'll bump it up a touch. There we go.

[No. 2 Bang Tae Seop] Right there, perfect.

Looking good.

I'll hear our neighbors' concerns up close

right where everyday life happens...

[No. 2 Bang Tae Seop]

What?

[Changjo Party]

Sir.

- What is it? - You need to see this.

What?

[Dongnam District Office] What is it?

[Leaked Documents Confirm Son Guk Won's Stock Rigging Orders]

Oh, no.

Wait a minute.

[Chu Sang Ah video]

Right now you're wondering where this fell apart, aren't you?

Go beg Lee Yang Mi.

We can't go up against her.

No! I said no! Damn it.

So you blame me for all of this, don't you?

You go your way, I'll go mine.

Let's each see this through to the end we want.

If you push any further,

it won't end with just getting hurt.

The worst decision you ever made

was marrying Chu Sang Ah.