Don't kill me.
(In 1998)
(Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do)
(The first stigmata murder case)
Smile.
Now.
You look much better.
Please don't kill me.
I won't.
Your sister asked me...
to help her sick sister which is you.
You'll now be reborn because of me.
Sang Ho.
Come close and watch.
The sacred scar I sincerely hoped to have appeared...
in your hand.
Blessed pain.
Instead,
Make sure to keep that in your soul.
I'll do as you say.
"To my sister from Ha Ru."
"Thank you for playing with me."
"Thank you for buying me snacks."
Hello?
Yes?
How many times should I call to reach you?
Please don't call me for nothing.
You know the connection is bad inside the house...
especially when it rains and at night.
Install another aerial.
There's no one who calls me other than you.
I lost you all of a sudden.
You would never call me if I didn't do it.
- Bye. - Young Jin.
- I'll go to your house at lunch. - No.
- I need to go visit my grandfather. - Why?
Didn't he tell you not to come anymore?
He forgot his snacks.
- Bye. - Young Jin.
Can we go to the orphanage on Saturday instead of Friday?
- Fine. - You won't ask why?
You want to watch that new movie, right?
We should go together.
No thanks. Go with someone else. You know I hate crowded places.
How are you...
- going to live without me? - Well,
my life would be quieter than now, I guess. Bye.
- Why are you here? - I brought you some snacks.
You have mints as well?
Shall I show you something interesting?
It's all white.
It doesn't seem to have chlorophyll.
So, it feeds on decaying organisms.
Isn't it amazing?
Mistletoes live off other organisms' nutrition...
in the hill up there with a lot of sunlight.
But this one cleans up... by eating dirty and stinky bodies.
Mistletoes are a parasitic plant, and this one is a saprophyte.
Did you learn that from school?
- I saw it from a book. - It wouldn't say this, though.
Some people are like mistletoes,
and others are like this one.
So we should live like a saprophyte, not a parasitic one?
That's right in some sense.
But people should live together while helping each other.
That's called a commensal.
Now you're trying to lecture this grandfather?
What's the name of it?
- What? - What is it?
Ghost plant, and Soojungcho in Korean.
Young Jin, isn't it a mutant?
It can't photosynthesize due to the lack of chlorophyll.
- That's why it's all white. - Then, what does it feed on?
It earns nutrition from decaying bodies...
of animals and plants, and also from animal excretion.
That's gross.
What do you mean it's gross? It's doing its best to live on.
It even cleans up the dirty things.
You sound like an old soul.
Do you know you sometimes talk like your grandfather?
- What's wrong with it? - Forget it.
What's its name?
What is it?
Ghost plant, and Soojungcho in Korean.
Soojung?
Really?
My name is Soo Jung too.
How can you be this elegant and beautiful?
Like me!
Let's go back.
That's nonsense.
A sacred scar.
Blessed pain.
Young Jin!
Did you watch the news? The stigmata murder happened again.
Really?
There are seven victims already.
He stabbed the victim when she was alive this time too.
So that she'd bleed a lot.
She must've been so scared and painful.
She also must've been really angry...
that the last moment of her life was so brutal.
- Why? - Don't go to the mountain alone.
I'll be fine.
I'm really worried. Please be careful.
I will. Let's go.
And answer your phone when I call you.
Okay.
Why did you choose me out of so many people?
Mr. Jang Ki Ho.
You know President Choi of Haedong Construction...
decided to present his land to Pastor Kwon, don't you?
- Yes. - Pastor Kwon said...
I'd be in charge of the land.
I see.
What's with that reaction?
- Are you not happy with that? - Not at all.
It's just as everyone expected.
So it'd be awkward to say congratulations.
Still, congratulations.
I'll need your assistance by my side from now on.
Sure.
Remember your pathetic self
This is a donation from New Life Church.
I'll make sure to use it for the kids.
One more.
We'd like to invite you and the kids to the church's revival service.
(New Life Church Revival Service)
I can assure you that it'll have a good influence on the kids.
Of course, we'll gladly attend it.
Hold on. Please bring it, Mr. Jang.
("New Life Gospel")
It seems that we've brought the wrong gospel.
- That's all right. - No, it's not.
We wrote it again...
to add Pastor Kwon Jae Chun's profile and the history of our work.
I'll bring it to you now.
Can't you even do such a simple job?
How do you want me to entrust you with any task from now on?
That's...
You were next to me when I took this, weren't you?
No.
- Are you sure? - Yes. Is something wrong?
Never mind.
Bring the new one.
("New Life Gospel")
Cha Young Jin, there's a car behind you.
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Yes. Thank you.
She's a good kid.
Good enough to be redeemed from the pain of life.
I'll help you.
Thank you.
- What's your name? - I'm Choi Soo Jung.
- And yours? - I'm Baek Sang Ho.
- What about your friend? - It's Young...
She doesn't usually answer when a stranger calls her name.
You know what?
I already know her name.
You called her name out loud over there.
- Was it Cha Young Shin? - It's Young Jin.
Cha Young Jin.
- I'll pretend not to know her name. - Sure.
- What's your name? - I'm Choi Soo Jung.
- And yours? - I'm Baek Sang Ho.
I'm doing it tomorrow.
I got it. Stop worrying and just wait.
(Young Jin)
Fine. I'll come to you.
Soo Jung.
I'm sorry if I startled you.
- Who are you? - We met at the orphanage.
Can I come to you?
You startled me.
- Where are you going? - To Young Jin.
What brings you to my neighborhood?
I'm here for you.
Whom were you calling earlier?
Young Jin?
Should I call her again?
She's not picking up.
Don't be too disappointed.
Your pain will end soon,
but Young Jin's pain has just begun.
I'm going to tell her you died for her.
And of course,
I won't tell her why.
That's what drives people crazy.
(1 missed call)
Cha Young Jin!
If I had answered the phone,
Soo Jung might have still lived.
The assailant must have her phone, right?
I'm sure he threw it into the sea or something.
Or he must've broken it into pieces.
Then, why would he have taken it with him?
- What? - I heard...
that it's the first time that the murderer had...
taken his victims' belonging.
I'm sure he has it with him.
(Soo Jung)
Young Jin?
It's you, right?
This is her.
Finally, you picked up the phone.
- If I had answered her call... - She would've been alive by now.
I was going to kill you,
but you didn't meet the requirements I set.
So I killed her instead.
I'll kill you.
Are you not scared of me?
I might go find you.
I'll go find you.
Then, I should tell you this.
The stigmata murder will not happen anymore.
Soo Jung was the last one.
So you can't find me.
I will.
No matter how long it takes,
I'll find you at any cost.
So you must stay alive until then.
I kind of like you.
I can't wait to meet you.
I really hope we meet someday.
- Pick anything you like. - I think it may take a while.
Take your time.
Do you want me to take it out for you?
Yes.
It wasn't in the room of your place.
The tenth floor of the hotel.
I saw it in the study there.
I thought...
he'd kill me if he'd found out that I saw it.
Here.
Why? Do you not like it?
It's too heavy.
It's only for display.
Hold on.
This is a book I want to recommend.
What do you think? Have you read it?
- I bought this today. - Did you buy one again already?
He asked me if I'd bought one again already.
He knew I lost the book.
I need to go now.
Aren't you going to pick one?
I'm a little tired.
Can I come and pick one next time? I'll make sure to pick one then.
Of course, you can.
Come back anytime.
The one who snatched your backpack.
The one who put it back.
It was all Baek Sang Ho.
Why is this here?
I met a demon.
- What does that mean? - Surviving...
put me in hell.
Are you looking for those who committed...
a shameful sin at my hotel?
You mean the drug dealers?
If you can find either one of them,
which one will you choose?
This happened because the buyer was mistaken...
the seller sneaked the money away when it was actually Eun Ho.
Then the two of them disappeared into thin air.
Aren't you curious about what happened between them?
Ms. Cha.
Can you continue?
I want to.
Why...
did you run away upstairs, not downstairs?
On the tenth floor,
nothing will open up without our fingerprints.
I'll take you home.
I just want to take a walk.
All right, then.
Go home safely.
Thank you.
That man noticed right away...
that I was running away.
- Are you going home? - Yes.
Did he just let you go?
- What? - Didn't he say he'd drive you home?
He did, but I just wanted to go by myself.
I didn't want to die.
I was scared to death.
I couldn't move an inch.
Hey!
The moment they showed up,
I jumped off.
Why...
did you fall from the middle?
When I was dragged back up,
I was so frightened...
that no one might know...
what happened to me.
Baek Sang Ho...
It'd be a miracle...
if someone survives after falling from this height.
But that miracle happened here yesterday.
Good luck on finding the culprit.
Do you think...
- it's a criminal case? - I hope so.
That may be less painful for you...
than Eun Ho jumping off from here on his own. Right?
I'm going to kill him.
I'll kill him.
Don't go.
I'm scared...
you might get hurt too.
I'll be okay.
Protect me.
He came here.
He whispered...
into my ear.
Eun Ho, make sure you wake up.
Then I will...
come get you again.
He said he'd come get me again.
How about we go see Eun Ho?
Why? To check if he really lost his memory?
No, just because I miss him.
Baek Sang Ho.
- What? - Don't be interested in anyone...
other than us three.
I guess not everyone agrees with you.
Even so,
what you have in mind isn't so important to me.
If we have to kill Ko Eun Ho,
will you be able to do that?
Sun Ah, don't you know me?
If I must,
I can even kill you guys.
Don't forget.
Who saved you three?
It's me.
So don't order me around ever again.
There's something Baek Sang Ho is desperately looking for.
You mean "New Life Gospel"?
This all happened because he thought you had it.
If he finds out that you regained all your memory,
we can't even imagine what he might do.
It was in my locker, but it disappeared.
I found it.
But no one has to know...
that I already found the book and you got your memory back...
except for me and you.
What is it?
Did something happen?
I'm going to talk to him outside.
Talk in here.
Eun Ho.
Is it safer for me if I don't know anything?
Or does it hurt any less?
If I had told you everything earlier,
this wouldn't have happened.
Eun Ho, why do you think like that all of a sudden?
Why do you think you're not safe?
I remember everything.
Even why you jumped off the building?
To live.
I did it because I wanted to live.
Mr. Lee.
What about the book?
- I can't decipher it. - Then bring it to me.
Are you going to take it to Jang Ki Ho?
Yes.
Can you stay with Eun Ho... until I come back from the disciplinary hearing?
I guess you're not asking me to have a small talk with him.
Are we in a situation to protect Eun Ho?
Are we?
Can I trust you?
Eun Ho. I want to protect you.
But...
that's not simply because you're my student.
I know who you are.
And I don't want to hide it anymore.
Are you going to keep everything inside you?
Is that what you truly want?
What do you want me to do?
Shall I stop here...
or shall I ask?
I don't know.
I don't know what I want to do either.
My niece, Ji Won.
Is she your little sister?
Yes.
(Shinsung Essay Contest)
Did you have enough?
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
- See you. - Goodbye.
Get back to your class straight away.
- Good job. - Thank you.
- Good job.
Bye.
(DNA Analysis)
(Test results)
(Paternal blood relations are conclusive.)
(Yoon Hee Seob, Lee Sun Kyung)
Hurry up, Uncle.
Be careful.
(Baby Bird's Adventure)
Eun Ho.
Eun Ho, why are you here?
I just dropped by on my way home.
When are you going to come over to my house again?
- Can I visit you again? - Yes.
Ji Won.
How would you feel if you really have an older brother?
I don't want an older brother. I'd like a younger sibling.
Me too.
I wish I have a little sister too.
I'll get going.
- Okay. Bye, Eun Ho. - Bye.
Eun Ho.
Does your mom know this too?
Now she does.
If he knows it too,
- could he... - He...
He made a rough guess.
Mr. Lee. I'm sorry.
It's not your fault. Why are you sorry?
I don't want Ji Won to find out about it forever.
Eun Ho. Whatever happens, I'm going to protect you.
I have a part of Ji Won in my body.
You have a part of Ji Won in your body too.
You're an older brother of my niece.
I'm an uncle of your little sister.
Won't you trust me?
Eun Ho.
In the book, you wrote: "I can't tell you,"
"but please help me."
Was it because of this?
Yes.
There is one more person to share the secret.
Us finding the book and Eun Ho regaining his memory...
should be kept as a complete secret.
Act like your usual self,
so they don't suspect anything.
You know who our opponent is, right?
Baek Sang Ho.
I'm going to catch that madman.
And let's go back home together.
I told you I was going to find you.
Now I'm going to catch you.
(Mr. Hwang In Beom)
Yes.
Why aren't you coming?
I told you I wanted to talk to you before the disciplinary hearing.
Are you planning not to show up to the hearing?
I'm on my way there.
I also have something to tell you before the disciplinary hearing.
I think turning yourself in is the best way.
- Are you serious? - Yes.
After all this time?
You didn't say anything when Min Sung confessed.
I'm sorry.
I'll increase my investment. Tell me how much you need.
This isn't something we can let go like that.
I can't and I don't want to.
Is this the result of putting my money and my son in your hands?
The investment was made duly.
Min Sung is no different from any other student...
How is he not different...
when the amount of money is different?
Eun Ho doesn't have a dad. His mom makes a living.
What would he have learned while growing up?
Min Sung took pity on him and was being nice to him.
And he threatened him?
- Is that something a kid would do? - Ma'am.
Eun Ho got hurt.
Your driver got killed.
Min Sung's faults...
Fine. He's just a kid right now.
He can be forgiven by reflection and apology.
However, for your faults,
you can only escape them with repentance, apology,
and reasonable punishment.
What a saint you are.
You only got to where you are because of your wife.
From now on, I can't leave you... with my money and my son.
Today, we looked into synonyms and antonyms.
It's going to be on the exam, so memorize them.
Put a star on it.
Pack your bags.
Ma'am.
He's going to transfer schools.
Why aren't you packing?
Min Sung. What does commensalism mean?
Tell me so that I can understand.
It means living on the dead body or excrement of an organism...
while absorbing nutrients.
Why?
Because it doesn't have chlorophyll.
Min Sung.
What does parasitism mean?
It's when an organism lives on another one by absorbing nutrients.
Like a parasite?
It makes me want to study when you explain it.
So you can help others with what you study.
How low.
I told you not to even talk to a kid like him.
Mom, if I transfer to another school,
I'm going to live like him.
If you're okay with that, I'll follow you.
But if you let me stay here,
I'll at least study hard as usual.
I apologize.
Sit down.
Let's continue with the class.
This is an important question that will be on the exam.
So let's review it.
Synonyms and antonyms.
These are...
You said Ki Ho knew a student here, right?
Yes, it's Ko Eun Ho in Class 2-2.
But Sang Ho was also looking for him too.
(Deacon Yoo Pan Sool)
The number you have dialed is currently turned off.
(Chairman Baek Sang Ho)
- Hello? - It's me.
We need to talk in person.
Do we?
No.
I'll come over there.
Eun Ho...
regained his memory.
Even the day he fell?
- Yes. - Was it Baek Sang Ho?
Yes.
Then the cases of Kevin Jung, Lee Young Sik, and Choi Dae Hoon...
should be investigated with Sang Ho as the suspect.
And...
the stigmata serial murder case too.
What's the correlation there?
Eun Ho went to Sang Ho's study...
and saw Soo Jung's picture and her phone.
Not a picture of her phone,
but the actual one?
Yes.
That's why he chose to jump off.
He knew he shouldn't have been caught.
So you were right about Sang Won having an accomplice.
There's going to be a tornado...
in Felony Crime Section One.
If you lose the big picture that guides you in a moment like this,
you can easily lose focus.
Until this morning,
I was going to tell them that I answered the phone,
not you.
And what the murderer said.
Why would you?
Because you feel guilty?
I thought about it,
but I couldn't let your career be tainted by this.
I said it's okay.
That little conscience...
can never be compared to that huge sense of duty...
that has been taking up space in your heart for the last 20 years.
The pricks of conscience are also huge.
But...
I'm sorry.
I'm really sorry,
but I want to catch Soo Jung's murderer...
with my hands...
at any cost.
Of course, you should.
That's the answer I wanted to hear.
(Special Crime Squad)
(Police Disciplinary Hearing)
Detective Lee Jae Hong.
Yes, sir.
You arrived at the scene at 18:13.
- Is that correct? - Yes.
Your statement says that the perpetrator fell...
as soon as you arrived.
- That's correct. - So you couldn't see...
whether he was hanging on Ms. Cha's hand...
or he was pushed.
Yes. But if he was pushed, his drop point should...
We've already checked the experts' reports.
After you've confirmed that he was dead,
Ms. Cha put handcuffs on him.
Yes, ma'am.
(Police Disciplinary Hearing)
We'll check the facts first.
What do you think?
How would he know? Did you make any mistake?
I only answered their questions truthfully.
Good job.
- Yes. - Don't worry about it.
A pay-cut is the worst thing that could happen.
It wasn't a bribe or embezzlement.
They won't penalize an officer in a way that could demoralize...
the whole organization.
What do you think?
You make it look so natural.
I might become a regular here.
I'd like to make an appointment tomorrow if you're okay.
I'm sorry.
I'll be leaving the shop for a few days.
I see.
All right, then.
Go to the hospital and check on Eun Ho.
- Why? - His mother is acting weird.
She's closing her shop starting tomorrow.
She didn't close it even when her son fell.
Does Sang Ho know about this?
No, I called you first.
What if the kid regained his memory?
I can't predict what Sang Ho would do...
if he finds out.
I get what you're saying.
I'll look into it and call you back.
Hello.
I'll leave you two alone.
Goodbye.
Let's try again.
Well done. You're almost there.
I'm on my way to school.
Did you tell Eun Ho's mom that he regained all his memory?
I just left as soon as she came.
Oh, right. How did the result come out, Ms. Cha?
I'm still waiting.
Call me when the result is out.
I'll wait for you with the book as we promised.
We will take care of Eun Ho from now on.
What?
Isn't it too late now?
We will return all the money you spent...
on his surgery and hospital fees.
Is his guardian aware of this?
I will let her know.
It's not much, so I don't need it back. Oh, right.
What are you going to do...
with my 15 million dollars which Lim Hee Jung borrowed?
I'm going to find Mr. Jang Ki Ho.
What are you going to do by finding him?
Do you really not know?
I don't understand.
I'd be willing to tell you if you did.
But since you don't, I can't tell you.
It's about privacy, you know.
By the way,
Why are you...
looking for Mr. Jang?
What?
We will give you a chance to speak one last time.
You're up first, Ms. Cha.
Sir.
Will you let me speak first?
Sure.
Nineteen years ago,
the culprit of the stigmata murder case...
used the eighth victim's phone and called her friend.
I happened to be with her at that time,
so I took the call on her behalf.
The whole country paid attention to it.
Being in the spotlight,
I came to see my lowest.
It was a sense of duty that I wanted to catch the culprit at first.
But it eventually degenerated into my ambition.
Obsessed with that ambition,
I was feeling so anxious.
That's when Cha Young Jin showed up as a new assistant inspector.
I shared... all the investigation records with her...
and made her join the investigation team.
I advised her not to tell her colleagues...
about her being the victim's friend because it was needless.
I don't understand.
She was a mere rookie assistant inspector back then.
And she was the victim's friend, which was certainly her weakness.
Why did you have her in the investigation... despite all those adverse conditions?
I thought it was her strength, not weakness.
Cha Young Jin lost her only friend.
I thought her rage and sorrow...
would fill what was lacking in our investigation.
And that her desire to catch the culprit...
would be a strong motive to keep the investigation going.
But I had no idea it'd take this long.
As years passed by,
I eventually became less passionate about the case.
I was exhausted too.
So I gave up in the end.
But she didn't stop.
If someone has to be responsible for this, it has to be me.
It was me who lied and gave up.
Cha Young Jin was only used by me...
who'd been blinded by ambition.
That's all.
Let me tell you the result.
Senior Inspector Cha Young Jin will have her pay reduced for a month.
Superintendent Hwang In Beom...
will be dismissed.
How did it go?
I got a pay-cut.
That's good to hear.
Are you going to meet Jang Ki Ho now?
I need to go see my colleagues first.
Then I'll be waiting with the book at the rendezvous.
- Come safely. - Okay.
Suspended for a month.
What about Mr. Hwang?
Dismissed.
I'm truly sorry about what happened to Mr. Hwang.
- Yes. - Don't worry about us,
and go rest at somewhere nice.
You've never gotten to take a proper break.
Young Jin, are you going to give up like this?
Make an appeal.
Ms. Cha, don't think about backing out.
You're suspended, but you're still a detective.
He's right.
It'll be unfair if we work our * off when she doesn't.
Enough is enough!
Don't do anything. We'll take care of things here.
I volunteered to join this team because of her.
Right. Mr. Han, I want Ms. Yoon back in my team.
Don't be so emotional.
This isn't for my sake. It's all for you.
You know what?
I'll keep investigating even without you.
Even if our team gets disbanded and the case is closed,
I'll keep doing it.
Thank you all.
- But... - But what?
Your thank-you is good enough.
No.
I'm not suspended.
I'm getting a pay-cut.
Pay-cut?
What...
I'm sure I heard it as suspension.
Gosh, no wonder why I heard it wrong.
It's even better to know you aren't suspended after thinking you were.
- Good work. - I told you she'd get a pay-cut.
No matter how busy you are, you should pick your ears and nose.
Detectives have got to be good at smelling too.
Pick everything.
Do it now. Go on.
I've found Jang Ki Ho and the thing he and Baek Sang Ho are looking for.
Eun Ho.
Ko Eun Ho.
Eun Ho.
Let's go.
You've gone through so much today.
Eun Ho seems strange.
When someone calls your name, you usually react right away.
But he didn't turn around when I called him twice.
I think his memory came back.
It's too dangerous to leave him be.
We better find our way out...
before Baek Sang Ho finds out.
What's the market price on this graph?
- It's 1 dollar and 50 cents. - Then...
Were you going to deal with it alone again?
Yes, I was going to,
but I don't want to make the same mistake.
I have found the prime suspect...
of the eighth stigmata murder case's accomplice or copycat.
It's the owner of the Millennium Hotel.
Baek Sang Ho.
(Senior Inspector Cha Young Jin)
Baek Sang Ho is connected to everyone.
Seo Sang Won, Lim Hee Jung, Jang Ki Ho, and Ko Eun Ho.
Can we catch Baek Sang Ho if we hand the book to Jang Ki Ho?
I must give this to Ms. Cha right now.
Whom do you think I'll believe between you and Baek Sang Ho?
Hi, Eun Ho.
What are you doing with the kid?
What are you doing here, not taking care of your students?
Baek Sang Ho!
What about my book?
Don't tell me Baek Sang Ho has it.
Everything will be over once we find Jang Ki Ho.
Only if I had Ki Ho!
Even if people read this book and find the numbers,
it will be no use to them.
"I tell you the truth."
"No one knows about that day or hour."
"But only the Father."