Original subtitles

(My Perfect Stranger)

(Kim Dong Wook)

(Jin Ki Joo)

(My Perfect Stranger)

(Episode 1)

In retrospect, it was truly an odd night.

The vehicle is going off course. Re-routing now.

Recalculating a new path.

Every single thing about that day went wrong in the most natural way.

And that doesn't happen every day.

The darned weather, the crazy GPS,

and the cell phone.

(Yoon Hae Jun)

And that was when it showed up in front of me.

Oh, no.

Gosh.

(Seoul M0508)

(Time Travelling System)

(Time Travelling System, Owner's Manual)

In there, the manual explained how to use the time machine.

Yes.

The time machine that shows up in novels or movies.

What's this?

I had been a reporter for seven years.

I had been chasing only facts.

So that was nothing but a fantasy to me.

I had no intention of taking the lead role...

in an absurd fantasy.

But there was one factor I overlooked.

My darn curiosity.

(Time Travelling System, 2021)

(Time Travelling System, 3089)

(Owner's Manual)

(Time Travelling System, 3089)

(Seoul M0508)

Year 3089. You want to know what I saw in 3098?

That's not the important part. It's what came after that.

(Time Travelling System, 2021)

(Time Travelling System, 2037)

(Seoul M0508)

What did I see in 2037?

How am I to make sense...

of what I saw there?

What did you see there?

I'm not sure.

Anyway, after that incident,

my life started to go off course.

Look at me, yapping about this ridiculous story to you kids.

(Supermarket)

I think he's crazy.

(Congratulations on hosting the 1988 Seoul Olympics.)

I feel bad for him. We should just listen to his story.

Do you have the thing I gave you earlier?

Yes.

I'll come back and settle the tab later.

Eat as much as you want.

- I'll see you in 15 minutes. - Okay.

The friendly neighbours made the village...

a much better place to live.

More teens are getting addicted to hallucinogenic drugs.

It went from super glue and butane gas...

to varnish and benzol.

They have become the new drugs to the teens.

Let's hear it from Reporter Lee.

(My Perfect Stranger, Episode 1, Somehow in 1987)

I know you worked really hard.

- You took great care of the elders. - Gosh.

- Goodness. - I have you to thank.

- Come on. - Oh, my.

- Let's have a drink. - Okay.

All right. Everyone.

As you all know,

our village, Woojung-Ri, was selected...

as a crime-free village five years in a row.

Gosh, we have clean water. It's peaceful here.

Isn't this a great place to live? Don't you agree, everyone?

- Yes! - Of course!

Let's have a drink, everyone.

Did he win the award?

Seriously. He loves being the center of attention.

That nuisance.

Come on.

- It's nice to see him so happy. - As if.

He played the biggest role in making our village...

a great place to live.

And he's respected by everyone in our village.

- He's our light. - Gosh.

Let me introduce you Principal Yoon Byung Gu...

and our committee chairman!

- Gosh. - Go ahead.

- What is this? I told you no. - No.

- Say something. - Stop it.

- You ought to say something. - Right.

Gosh. Thank you.

- Great. - Nice.

I mean, I didn't do anything.

First things first. I should thank the good-natured people...

in our village first.

Secondly,

I have our children to thank for growing into such fine people.

That's not true.

You blindly believed each other...

when you knew so little about each other.

No wonder you ended up in a tragedy.

What's he talking about?

- What did he say? - What is that about?

About 30 seconds later,

you will hear screaming from the hill in the back.

Six delinquent teenagers...

will start running in six different directions.

All of them will be high on super glue.

And the three of them will be girls from this village.

What on earth is he talking about?

Some kids from our village got high on super glue?

No way.

A TV reporter got the tip before the incident.

The reporter is coming here all the way from Seoul.

- A TV reporter? - A TV reporter?

The reporter will arrive in five minutes.

So you have about 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

You must fix this before the reporter arrives.

Who are you? You don't look like you're from here.

How dare you interrupt our picnic and make such absurd accusations?

Kim Hae Kyung, a senior from Class One at Woojung High School.

My second-eldest daughter is in that class.

- Lee Eun Ha in the same class. - My Eun Ha?

My adorable youngest daughter?

Park Yu Ri, also in the same class.

Wait. She's my granddaughter.

Are you sure you want to take this risk?

According to the Toxic Chemicals Control Act...

- What? - What was that sound?

- Somebody screamed, right? - Yes. Over there.

Has it been 30 seconds already?

This concerns our children.

Let's believe him.

No. That's not true.

I didn't do anything.

Gosh.

Drink it. The water here is still clean.

By the way, who are you?

Missing your footing on the cliff over there...

and ending your life at the age of 19 was your fate.

And I just changed your fate.

You are...

so handsome!

- What? Hey! You little... - Eun Ha. Gosh.

- Unbelievable. You crazy girl. - Eun Ha.

- That little brat. - Gosh.

- Snap out of it. - You little brat.

- Snap out of it. - Gosh. Look at that.

- Hey. Unbelievable. - Let's go!

Go straight. Faster.

- Come on. Hurry. - Hey.

What are you doing?

- Snap out of it. - Grandma. Grandpa.

- You... What did you do? - What is this?

- Gosh. What on earth happened? - What is it?

Come here.

- Come here. Gosh. - Let's go.

- Come here. - Stop it.

- He's... - What?

Do you want me to push you?

You're the one who coaxed others into sniffing super glue.

You may have made yourself look like you were at risk,

but the others were the ones who suffered death.

I'm not willing to help a delinquent who killed two of their friends.

So tell me if that's what you want.

I'll push you.

What's with that jerk?

Get lost, will you?

("Out of 10 Who Sniffed Super Glue, 2 Suffered Death")

Hold on.

Let's go check.

Goodness, that scared me.

- Gosh. - Gosh, they survived.

He saved her.

You think your life is hard because your mom is different.

What?

What does he know?

Your mom lives for you...

even if you're a little different.

So don't ever do something like this with your friends.

Okay?

I can't be bothered too.

Even without you,

there are tons of people to save in this village.

My goodness!

- Hello. - The hero of Woojung-Ri.

You're amazing.

You're the best.

They know whom to send us.

("Woojung-Ri Chosen as the Town with No Crimes for 5 Years in a row")

Goodness. Dad!

You brat. You just recognized him?

The next story is about teen delinquents,

which has become a serious social issue.

There are teenagers who got high on super glue right here.

Gosh, where on earth are they?

Gosh, pull yourself together!

Gosh, you.

How should we thank you?

It was just a one-time thing.

They're still young,

so you should all embrace them and lead them well.

That's what adults should do.

It's as if you read my mind.

How did you know all those, though?

The exact timing of when things would happen.

You were precisely on time.

Tell me about it.

- Sir! - Wait.

Young Ho, Young Soon.

You dropped this earlier, sir.

I did?

(Teaching Certificate)

- This could've been bad. - What?

I actually dropped this.

Oh, gosh.

Mr. Yoon Hae Jun?

You were a teacher?

Yes.

Coincidentally, he's moving to our village from Seoul.

- What? - Oh, is that so?

Listen.

Excuse me for asking this,

but have you found your new post?

No, not yet.

There's a vacancy at the school I'm running.

- Oh, is that so? - Yes.

What a coincidence.

I teach Korean language.

Right. Mr. Yoon.

That's how I began my fake life...

in that village in 1987.

(Teachers' Office)

(Korean)

- Sir! - Move!

Move!

I'm going first! Sir!

Sir!

I became a teacher,

which I'd never wanted to become.

And I got myself a house in a rural village,

which I'd never wanted.

That's how I spent the whole month.

Why must I have done that?

(Seoul, 2021)

The serial murder case of Woojung-Ri that occurred in 1987.

The people you killed 34 years ago...

were still alive there.

No. I didn't kill them.

I know.

What?

That's why I went there to find the real culprit.

That way, both of us can survive.

What on earth are you talking about?

You're being discharged in the morning, right?

I'll see you in Woojung-Ri.

I'll tell you what on earth I was talking about.

So make sure...

to stay alive until tomorrow morning.

("The Culprit of the Woojung-Ri Serial Murder Case Kills Himself")

("The Woojung-Ri Serial Murder Case Culprit to be Released Tomorrow")

Where are you, Yoon Young?

You're on your way, right?

(Editor-in-chief)

I know it's your day off,

but she's only looking for you.

I'm almost there.

I knew I wouldn't be able to rest.

(Mom)

What is it again?

It's a video this time?

What's it about?

You know that video.

The one you sang really adorably when you were young.

I was worried because it lagged a lot.

You said it could be converted into a file for a flash drive.

Okay. I'll do it for you next time.

It's been over a year since you promised to do that.

It's not like I forgot about it on purpose.

Are you still busy?

You must be so tired.

Still, you'll come home, even if it's late, right?

Tonight?

Why must we celebrate Dad's birthday every time?

You've never even gotten a flower from him on your birthdays.

He doesn't even come home on a regular basis.

It'll be just the two of us even if we prepare a meal for him.

It's because he's busy.

Doing what?

Drinking and scuffling with his friends?

Come on. Don't be like that.

I'll make lots of delicious dishes.

I'll make japchae, your favourite.

Don't go through so much trouble. I won't be there.

I'll send you more money.

You should buy some new clothes and get some fresh air.

Stop watching the old videos. It's frustrating.

I'm hanging up.

So you are asking why the murderers in my novel...

were women only?

I'm not sure.

I guess you don't find it weird that an old woman like myself...

writes a novel.

Just as any man...

can commit a murder,

any woman can commit a brutal murder.

I only choose the stories...

that I'm more familiar with to write a novel.

Shall we move on to the next question?

(Author Talks with Writer Ko Mi Sook)

This is your first novel released in 1987,

"Small Door."

It's the only story...

where there aren't any murderers.

Here it is. Your favourite novel.

Right. It drove me to this inferno.

It's the novel I love and hate at the same time.

You wrote this when you were only 19.

Isn't it dull to talk about the past?

Rather than talking about that, I'd like to...

introduce the most important person in my life right now.

Over there at the back.

Do you see the glowing woman at the back?

She's the editor in charge I mentioned earlier.

She's also my soulmate.

Most of my success...

is thanks to her hard work.

Gosh, I can't believe it. Who planned this?

I can't even write well these days,

and they made me come and answer ridiculous questions.

Until when will they jabber on about the old novel?

There are so many other novels that have sold over a million copies.

And they're still talking about my lousy first work!

Come on. You're belittling your work again.

Don't you know...

how many people became fans because of your first novel?

I'm the first fan of yours.

Without the lines from your novel, I would be...

Hey, do you think I'm interested in your story?

Shall we go back to the studio?

Let me relieve some stress.

Hello. My daughter.

What?

I'll start the car right away.

How cold she is.

Did I ask you for money?

I just wanted to see her face.

It's not like...

I rewatch the video because I don't have money.

Goodness.

Gosh. That's expensive.

Hello.

I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so long.

- Can we see a size 36? - Yes, ma'am.

What about the restaurant?

I booked a place right across the street.

You can go as soon as Yi Na gets here.

I sent Professor Park the location.

Did you see the introduction I sent you?

Don't you see the dark circles here?

It was so interesting that I stayed up all night.

That's good.

It won't be torn to shreds this time.

You hate my sentences.

No, I don't. Why would you say that?

It's received well only when you review it,

so I can't really complain.

Anyone can edit it.

Of course. It was all written by you.

Let me take them.

This work is going to be a success. I have a good feeling.

They say good shoes take you to a good place.

Why are you wearing those shoes, then?

- Move. - I want a pair.

- What shoes are they? - Let me see.

Mom?

- Stop it! - Please don't push me.

- Don't push me. - Watch it!

It looks like a flea market.

Why are they making a fuss over some tacky shoes on sale?

- What's with you? - Come on.

- Yes, that's size six. - I'm sorry.

What a pathetic life.

- They're nice. - Size 6.5, please.

You may be poor, but you should have some class.

Keep that in mind before you get older.

- Mom. - Hey.

Yoon Young, how have you been?

What are we eating today? I'm starving.

You haven't eaten since you had to follow my mom around, right?

Your dad must be waiting. Let's go.

Let's get going first. We'll talk after lunch.

Okay.

Gosh.

Yoon Young?

Mom.

Mom!

Mom!

Mom!

Seriously?

Are you out of your mind?

Aren't you afraid of cars?

You have such bad hearing. I've been calling your name.

I've been calculating how much I spent today in my head.

Fine. Don't yell at me.

I wasn't yelling.

This is good. Try these on.

What are they?

Come on. If they don't fit you, I should exchange them.

Do you want me to put them on you?

No. Later.

- No! - Yoon Young.

I told you I'd try them later. Get up.

Okay. Fine.

- Done. - They're perfect, right?

Is it because you're pretty?

The shoes are glowing.

They say good shoes take you to a good place.

Who believes that? That's silly.

Hey, these are not cheap shoes.

I didn't buy them at the store where you saw me standing.

I paid the full price at their brand store.

They're good ones.

That's not what I meant.

Who asked for them?

I told you to buy clothes for yourself, didn't I?

I don't really go anywhere to show them off, anyway.

That's exactly why!

So don't dress up like this...

- This... - What?

How many times have I told you to throw this away?

Why do you like this tacky, ten-year-old scarf?

Just look at the people around you.

Who wears something like this? Take a look.

I shouldn't have gotten that for you.

Okay. You're hurting my ears. Stop yelling.

Do I embarrass you that much?

You work with smart, high-class people,

so people like me are a joke to you.

Why would you put it like that?

But you know what?

I wouldn't ignore you even if you wore filthy shoes...

or an old-fashioned scarf.

I...

would never ignore you whatever you wear or do.

Do you get it?

I won't...

I won't hang out with you either.

Mom.

If...

I hadn't let her leave like that...

Seriously.

Could things have taken a different path?

I won't spend time with you either.

- Do you need a bag? - Yes.

I thought I had enough time to make up for it.

(Writer Ko Mi Sook)

(May 9, Sunday)

(Power Off)

It's Mom. Have you eaten?

After all, she's my mom.

Someone...

who is always there waiting for you.

Mom.

(Wedding Invitation, Baek Hee Sub and Lee Soon Ae)

Hello.

Yes, this is she.

But Mom...

My mom...

It seems like there is a suicide note.

Mom.

Mom!

Mom!

Have I ever...

even imagined a world without my mom?

Mom...

Mom!

No!

- When I say, - Mom!

"Mom,"

Mom...

no one in this world...

- can answer now. - No!

(May 9, Writer Ko Mi Sook)

(I'm done with you.)

(You'll have to look for another publishing company.)

(Delete)

Were you not able to reach your father yet?

I don't understand why she was here.

This place, Woojung-Ri.

I've never heard of it.

It's pretty far from our house too.

(Detective)

We'll have to investigate more.

But you should check this.

I think it was intended for you.

(Dad)

Dad.

Is that you, Yoon Young?

Your dad caused trouble again.

I can't let this slide this time.

Do you know how many plates he has broken so far?

Gosh. What?

Come on! Don't throw up on that!

You're unbelievable.

Gosh.

Send me your bank account number and the amount.

For all the damage he has caused so far.

I'll wire it to you now.

I was worried that you might not come.

No. I was worried that you couldn't come.

I'm glad to see you.

Who on earth are you?

How did you know?

You need to be clear.

Are you asking me how I knew that you weren't the culprit...

from 34 years ago? Or...

are you asking me how I knew...

that you were going to hang yourself...

the night before your release?

I already told you the answer last night.

Do you expect me to believe your ridiculous story? Really?

You want me to believe that you were really there?

Come on.

Are you mocking me because you think I'm out of touch...

with the real world...

because I've been rotting in prison for 30 years? You jerk!

Sixteen years.

I was going to work my head off for 16 years and retire young.

So I could fish and read books...

in a quiet village like this. I wanted to lounge around.

That was my dream.

That was the route I chose.

In 2037... So 16 years from now,

I wanted to check if my humble dream had come true.

I was going to check that and come right back.

(Time Travelling System, 2021)

(Time Travelling System, 2037)

But...

I couldn't.

My dream couldn't come true...

because I had died too young.

Exactly a year from now,

I will die in the year when I turn 35.

Do you want to know what my death has to do with you?

That's because...

the culprit who kills me is the real culprit...

of the serial murder case in Woojung-Ri in 1987.

What?

What on earth...

(Bong Bong Teahouse)

(Seoul M0508)

(Bong Bong Teahouse)

That was the culprit's signature in 1987.

This was also found at the scene of my murder.

So obviously, you were the first guy the police looked for.

But you...

had died even before me.

You said that you didn't kill anyone.

And you couldn't live with the injustice anymore.

The night before your release... So it was yesterday.

You hanged yourself in your cell.

No way.

How did you know that?

It made no sense, right?

How could a dead man kill me?

So I decided to believe that you were innocent.

You tell me now.

Can I?

Can we find...

the real culprit?

We must.

That's why I'm driving off course.

And that's the only way you and I will have a shot...

at a decent life.

(Dear Yoon Young)

Yoon Young.

I'm sorry for making you upset earlier.

I won't...

I won't hang out with you either.

After you moved out...

Mom.

I couldn't help but feel that we were growing apart.

So I probably just wanted to act grumpy.

Ribbit, the frog is singing

The son, the grandson, and the daughter-in-law

Gather around

They sing all night long, but no one is listening

Lately, I can't stop thinking about your childhood.

When you were a kid,

you used to sing that frog song.

I'll play with you forever.

Even when you become a white-haired granny,

I'll play with you every day.

So you have to play...

- Your tiny mouth used to fidget. - with me. Okay?

Your beautiful hands.

Goodness. Oh, no.

Gosh.

If I ever get to travel back in time,

I want...

to go back to that day and hold them one last time.

Your tiny, beautiful hands.

Yoon Young.

I never forgot it.

If I could,

I would like to play with you...

for the rest of my life until I become a white-haired granny.

With love, Mom.

(Bong Bong Teahouse)

"Book?"

(Book...)

That's...

Yoon Young.

Why didn't you answer the phone when Mom called?

She called you three times before she died.

You ignored her calls again, right?

Let's go.

We should leave. Let's go to your mom.

And where exactly could Mom be?

How will we go see her?

- Yoon Young. - Dad.

Do you know why I tried so hard to leave home?

It's because I hated seeing you and Mom together.

That's why.

You always fought when you were together,

and you always left home whenever you fought.

Then Mom would always wait for you.

I hated seeing that every day. That's why I ran out.

Even when I knew that Mom would be left alone.

But Mom told me she missed me.

If she could travel back in time,

she was silly enough to say she'd come to see me again.

I...

I really want to turn back time, Dad.

If I could go back to the past,

I would go way back.

So that Mom wouldn't have to...

love you...

or me.

She wouldn't need to live with people...

who make her lonely all her life and fool her.

I'll make her live happily...

all her life by herself.

I'll make sure she lives.

But I can't.

It's impossible!

It's tacky!

I'll get you something better. Let's go to a department store.

Not all good things are expensive. This one is nice.

It's perfect. I love this.

The colour looks good on you.

My daughter is getting me this with the money she got...

from her first part-time job.

With these little hands...

Gosh, I can't let her spend it, but she insists.

It's nothing.

She goes to the college near here.

I came here to take a look around her campus.

Thanks to my daughter, I got to visit a college campus.

- It must've been nice. - Yes.

Who knew this day would come?

(Seoul M0508)

Laying silk in my heart, standing at the end of your alley

I'll welcome you with beautiful candles

I become a butterfly, walking the fragrant flower path

(Time Travelling System: 2021 to 1987)

I'll fly and land in your heart

Our words become a song and a poem

I'll sing a song for you after I lay a carpet in my heart

Do you know how it feels?

My heart with a carpet in it

Laying silk in my heart, standing at the end of your alley

I'll welcome you with beautiful candles

Wait.

What?

Wait.

Come on!

The shoes that my mom bought me...

Where did they take me that day?

(Seoul M0508)

(Time Travelling System: 2021 to 1987)

Welcome!

(Celebrating the Hosting of Seoul Olympics)

- What's wrong? - Come here.

It doesn't even cost that much.

Come on. You should check it out.

It's such a good bargain.

It's really nice.

(H Teahouse)

(Sun and Moon Record Shop)

(Records, cassette tapes, photo books)

Gosh!

I'm sorry.

Wait.

Are you all right?

What?

Your forehead is bleeding.

What's with my shoulder?

It's nothing like that.

I'm all right.

Wait. You're not okay.

Your face is pale too.

You should go to the hospital.

It's not because of you.

So you may mind your own business.

Don't take back what you said! All right?

Gosh, did I work out too much?

That was close.

(Baek Hee Sub)

(Moon Night)

(The 3rd Woojung-Ri Family Walkathon)

Even if you were to vanish far away

Like the floating wind

Please stop by for a moment

We play the trendiest songs.

There's also a band performance later at midnight.

I'm sorry, but I'm really tired today.

Can you please just let me pass by?

Did you exchange blows with your friends?

It must've hurt.

There's no better reason to stop by. You need to relieve your stress.

Why is everyone getting in my way?

Are you interested in that?

I hear the prizes are pretty nice.

You get a Walkman if you come in third place.

So I'm going to compete with my younger sibling tomorrow.

That number is a typo, right?

What number? It's tomorrow.

"May 10." A Sunday.

Is it "The 4th" instead of "The 3rd?"

No, not that. The "1987."

It's 2021 right now.

What's wrong with you?

Are you badly hurt?

(May 10, 1987)

(Sobangcha at Club Moon Night!)

(Club Moon Night)

Just go home. I won't keep you any longer.

Is it really 1987 right now?

Don't you know that the 1988 Olympics will be held next year?

A nightclub?

You want to go clubbing?

Then...

did you think we'd go to a playground at this hour?

No, but still.

We're still students.

"We're still students."

Hey, Lee Soon Ae, are you making it obvious that you're the top student?

We'll be 20 years old soon.

What's so bad about going clubbing a few months early?

Also,

you guys got caught sniffing super glue.

Will you be okay?

That's why...

we brought you along.

You better be careful when talking to my mom this time.

We were...

at your house studying all night, okay?

I don't like lying.

Hey.

Do we really have to take her with us?

Of course.

She needs to be our accomplice to get our story straight.

She told my mom last time that we weren't hanging out,

so I was nearly beaten to death.

Do I really need to...

die before I can get married to Hae Sung?

Fine.

But are you going to let her go like that?

Of course not. We don't want to be stopped...

at the entrance.

Gosh. Darn it.

What should I do about this?

What should I do about this?

(Jeon Young Nok)

So you're saying...

this year is 1987?

If you're ill, go to the hospital.

Don't act like this in front of someone else's business.

My gosh.

Stop joking around.

Didn't I already tell you that I'm not in the mood?

Is this a filming site?

Where exactly are we?

So...

this is Woojung-Ri.

And I don't know what you mean by "filming site."

Forget it.

I can just look it up.

Gosh.

What is that?

(Please check your connection and try again.)

Is there no service here?

Does the Internet not work here?

What?

- Is there no service? - What kind of service?

What's wrong with this neighbourhood?

Take care. Don't ever come back!

Gosh, I almost dug my own grave.

- It's this, right? - Yes.

Until...

- We look great. - Let's go.

Darn it.

Watch where you're going.

Okay. I'm sorry.

Ribbit, the frog is singing

The son, the grandson, and the daughter-in-law

Gather around

They sing all night long, but no one is listening

Mom.

Mom.

Right.

I'm sorry. I'll explain everything.

Sorry?

You must already be in a state of shock.

But the situation is worse than you'd expect.

We have just...

arrived in the year, 1987.

And there's no way...

to go back.

We're stuck here.

Are you serious?

Yes.

Gosh.

Don't be too scared.

I'll do whatever it takes...

Then...

This is real. Goodness.

Excuse me.

You're laughing?

(We thank Kim Hye Eun...)

(and Kim Hyeon Mok for their guest appearances.)

(Time Travelling System: 2021 to 1987)

(My Perfect Stranger)

Is this real?

My mom is alive?

- Mom? - Please, don't do this.

Are you going to hit me?

Mom, what's wrong? Why would I hit you?

Okay. We will start a crackdown on minors.

What are you punks doing here?

- Get over here. - She doesn't attend our school.

Yes, you, right there.

Why are you feigning ignorance?

Are you sightseeing?

Why did you go into the club?

He suddenly looked at me...

What's your name?

My name is Baek Hee Sub.

(Epilogue)

Where were you until this hour?

Woojung-Ri.

Woojung-Ri?

Did you say Woojung-Ri was your hometown?

Why there all of a sudden?

Well...

I had something I needed to finish.

(My Perfect Stranger)