01x03 - Coincidence

[bunniefuu]

(All people, incidents, and backgrounds...)

(in this drama are fictitious
and unrelated to reality.)

(Also, children and animals were
filmed under production guidelines.)

(Introduction...)

(Introduction to Statistics)

To save you from the pit of statistics,

I'm Hwang Jung Sik.

It's Hwang Jung Sik, not Hang Jung Sik.

Now then, we'll do what
everyone loves for our first class.

Introducing yourself.

I know who's retaking my class,

so don't try to play any tricks.

No matter how big the class is,

your turn will always come,
and you know that. Right?

- Yes. - Yes.

Let's start with you in the very front row.

- Me? - Yes.

Well...

Hi.

My name is Lee Dong Jin.

All right, Lee Dong Jin.

Why did you choose statistics?

I chose statistics because...

- You see... - Let me guess.

Your grades were enough for it.

No.

Then, is your dream to work at
the National Statistical Office?

- No. - If you wish to earn lots,

it's better to take the actuary exam.

Here's some sincere advice.

Unless you want to become like me,

don't go to graduate school.

- Next. - I...

Through statistics,

I have a life problem to
solve. That's why I'm here.

Oh, gosh. What a novel reason.

"A life problem?"

That life problem of yours...

What's with you?

I'm sorry.

I love your enthusiasm for
wanting to introduce yourself.

So, who are you?

Right.

My...

name is Kim Joong Hyuk.

(Episode 3: Coincidence)

- Hurry. - Hey.

Hi. I'm starving.

Enjoy.

Isn't he in our department?

He always eats alone.

His taciturn personality looked cool,

making him popular at first.

But now, everyone hates him.

The least he can do is greet others back.

That's why he has no friends.

Your fingers look bad. What happened?

Oh, this? I was peeling fruits.

That guy. It's like he has zero emotions.

There's a reason the
guys call him a psychopath.

Joong Hyuk reminded me of Park Mi Jung.

You're wrong.

Sorry?

I said you were wrong.

What is he doing?

Kim Joong Hyuk.

That's your name, right?

Hey. Why are you eating
alone? That's no fun.

Do you not remember me?

I'm also a statistics major.

We both take Professor
Hwang's introduction to statistics.

Hi. My name is...

Lee Dong Jin.

By the way, where do you live?

I live alone near the school.

People ask if my family farms potatoes...

when I say I'm from Gangwon Province.

If so, do Jeju Island people
all harvest tangerines?

We don't grow potatoes.

My mom runs a shop.

But my neighbours do farm...

Would you like some potatoes?

You see, my mom is super generous.

Even if I stir-fry them or boil them,

there's no end.

He really didn't say a thing.

Kim Joong Hyuk! Where are you going?

Hey, hold on!

Joong Hyuk!

Take your potatoes.

I told you I'd give you
some my mom sent over.

Enjoy.

- Dong Jin. I'm leaving first. - Okay.

- Bye. - Bye.

Joong Hyuk. Let's go get lunch.

I'm tired of our cafeteria.
How about eating out?

There's a new Chinese
place near our school.

What do you want from me?

What do you mean?

When I don't respond,

people get the message
and start avoiding me.

It seems you don't get it.

I don't mean any harm.

But you make me uneasy.

You remind me of someone.

I couldn't do it in the past.

I wasn't brave enough.

I don't want to repeat the same mistake.

I'm sorry...

if I made you uneasy.

Hurry up. I need to go to my part-time job.

I never asked you to join me.

All right. Take your time, okay?

By the way,

how many part-time jobs do you have?

You see,

I work at the convenience
store on weekday evenings...

and the on-campus coffee shop on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

- I filled in for Myung Soo... - Got it.

- at the BBQ place. - It won't take long.

For money?

Or is your family financially poor?

Oh, that?

I didn't realize it then because
my mom had always paid for them.

After signing up for online
lectures and buying CSAT books,

I found out it was pretty expensive.

I see.

So you're taking the CSAT again.

After getting into Seun University?

My mom will k*ll me for sure if I do that.

It's not for me.

I want this particular
person to take the CSAT.

It's for that person.

That's right.

I work part-time here starting from 1pm.

Can we get more pickled radish?

Sure.

Seriously. Isn't Professor Hwang
stingy when it comes to grades?

I know, right? At this rate, I
might have to retake his class.

Hey, let's go the other way.

- Why? - Just come.

But why?

Wait for me, Joong Hyuk.

(Report on Fatality Rates:
Denial of the Witch's Existence)

What are your plans for the break?

Since we're on break,

I'm going to work part-time.

Really? How about we
work at the same place?

Okay.

Like that, Joong Hyuk became my friend.

And I became Joong Hyuk's friend.

(City Bus)

Sir. Hi.

Welcome back, Dong Jin.

(Poongnyeon Agrochemicals)

Mom?

Oh, my!

Goodness. My proud son!

Mom. Stop it.

I'm not a kid anymore.

They say once kids grow up,

they're strangers, and it's totally true.

"They're strangers?"

In other words, raising kids is fruitless.

Gosh. To think...

you'd reject my kiss
now that you're an adult.

- You... - Why? Do you hate it?

- Do you? - Stop it.

Did you have lunch?

- Not yet. I'm starving. - Come.

- Here. - Mom.

Is it my birthday today?

Stop overreacting.

Weren't you going to come
right when break started?

- I had my part-time job. - Part-time job?

Why are you working part-time?

You should tell me if
you're low on pocket money.

Putting aside money,

it's a great chance to
learn about social life.

That's admirable of you.

But a student should focus on studying.

They say there's a right time for studying.

How's university life?

It's fun.

I have a best friend named Joong Hyuk now.

What is he like?

He doesn't talk much.

He's not that sociable either.

But he's reliable.

You know those kind of people.

Ones you get drawn to more.

Joong Hyuk reminds me of someone.

Who?

Just someone.

Oh, Mom.

- I got a GPA of 4.3. - What?

I might get a scholarship.

Lee Dong Jin.

I had a hunch when you said
you were working part-time.

How can you go to school with that score?

- What? - Just drop out of school!

Don't breathe. Don't eat, either.

- What? - I can't believe it.

I sent you to university,
but what was it? 4.3?

How many did you get
wrong to get that score?

Did you get one question right?

Mom. So you think 1 question is worth 4.3?

How can you laugh right now?

Look at their faces.

Yes, Mom?

What is it, Mom?

Your mom, who knows nothing...

since she didn't attend university,

is returning to the shop.

Stop it, Mom.

I'm sorry, okay?

Whatever.

I'll be home late. Order dinner, okay?

And greet the others well if
you're going outside. Okay?

But I've got plans today.

Must I greet them today?

Don't you have a second
to show your face around?

Remember how much they adored you?

By the way, the dry
cleaner's son is in the hospital.

The owner is feeling
low, so keep that in mind.

Didn't you say he did martial arts?

Why is he in the hospital?

I wonder if you know, too.

There was a rumour that
there was a witch in your school.

How do you know about that, Mom?

Really, you.

There's nothing I don't know.

Anyway.

Her dad passed away not too long ago.

It's a shame. He was a nice person.

What? When?

It's been a few months already.

You should treat me well while I'm alive.

Life is really unpredictable.

It ends in a blink of an eye.

So Hyun Kyu from the dry cleaner...

went to her house to comfort
her, and on his way back,

he ran into a wild boar.

Goodness.

How is running into a
wild boar even possible?

With all that has happened,

the rumour that she's
a witch might be true.

Mom! How can you be the same as them?

How is she a witch?

Do you actually believe
that? Isn't it absurd?

But you see...

So many people either get hurt or die.

Are you listening to yourself?

Everyone gets hurt or dies. Okay?

But how can you blame it on her?

Think about the population in our country.

According to statistics,
247,000 people died last year.

That means an average
of 677 deaths per day.

That many die a day?

If you do the math,

it's 500 deaths per 100,000 people.

In short, 5 per 1,000.

Midong High has 1,200 students.

So that means, around 5 to 6 would die.

But in the past 3 years, only 2 have died.

In other words,

everything is just a coincidence!

All right. Fine.

Seriously.

By the way, do you know
those numbers by heart? Do you?

Dong Jin.

She's...

probably gone by now.

- What's this? - Why are we here?

The village meeting was a few months ago.

The people asked her to leave.

Let's see what she looks like.

Why do you even ask? I
bet she looks like a sly fox.

Hyun Kyu was attacked by
a wild boar because of her.

(Jeongun Store)

(Jeongun Jeil Church)

(Inquiry of Sale: Geumoh Real Estate)

No.

I've prepared something for you until now.

(Inquiry of Sale: Geumoh Real Estate)

(May 2013)

You're not a witch.

I wanted to prove it.

(Report on Fatality Rates:
Denial of the Witch's Existence)

But...

I was once again too late.

(References)

(Contrary to the perception...)

(of those who referred...)

(to a certain individual as a witch...)

(Report on Fatality Rates:
Denial of the Witch's Existence)

I missed you a lot.

Back then,

I cried without knowing why I was crying.

That was...

That was an unspoken...

one-sided love.

Nothing waits for anyone.

Especially...

love.

It never waits.

(Lee Dong Jin Checklist)

(Was a specific age group concentrated?)

(Have similar types of accidents...)

(What are the common factors among...)

(Professor of Statistics Hwang Jung Sik)

Yes, come in.

Professor Hwang. I heard
you wanted to see me.

- Take a seat. - Yes, sir.

All right. So tell me.

Why are you studying so hard?

- Pardon? - You see, freshmen are...

supposed to get bad grades...

and do everything but study.

Once they come back from military service,

they won't remember a thing.
They'll have to start all over.

Dong Jin.

But why are you studying so
hard when it's all for nothing?

Am I not allowed to do that?

I didn't say that.

You're in school after all.

But I don't like that.

Pardon?

It's always those hardworking students.

They run away without
looking back even for a second.

I won't run away.

Do you mean that?

Great. Then let me ask you a question.

This witch in your report.
Is she a fictional character?

No.

She's misunderstood.

So I wanted to help clear
the misunderstanding.

Does this have anything
to do with the life problem...

you mentioned during your
introduction last semester?

Yes.

You used statistics to prove that...

a series of accidents and deaths
in a village had nothing to do...

with one individual. I liked that idea.

But...

it's useless now.

I was too late.

No.

Your report was useless from the start.

It was full of errors.

Pardon?

You applied statistics selectively.

To put it simply,

you had already concluded
that she wasn't a witch.

Then you used statistics
to fit your narrative.

This isn't mathematics.

Take it.

(Checklist for Lee Dong Jin)

Why are you giving this back to me?

Verify all the questions on the checklist.

Then it will be clearer...

if she's a witch or not.

Go back to the beginning. What do you say?

- Sir. - What?

You said you wouldn't run away.

Okay.

Teenager accidents...

(Korean Statistical Information Service)

(Death toll, crude death rate,
life expectancy, period of record)

I must find the differences between
my district and other districts...

while identifying the common patterns...

in the accidents that
took place in my district.

(Between age 15 to 19)

(Charts)

(Death toll from 1997 and on,
fatality rate from 1998 and on)

(Year 2012)

(Save charts)

(Bizarre Video Contest with
Korea Meteorological Administration)

(Observational Data)

Relevant data.

March of 2010. Taebaek.

(Average temperature,
highest temperature...)

(Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...)

(Lowest temperature,
average rainfall, daily rainfall)

(Year 2012, Annual Report on
the Causes of Death Statistics)

(Safety Accidents in Schools)

The rate of food poisoning cases by year.

Food poisoning rate at
schools in Gangwon Province.

The death and accident
rates at Midong High School...

were significantly higher than
those of schools in other districts.

Statistics on traffic deaths.

If the accident rate is higher than
the average in the other regions,

there must be a reason.

Was there a problem with the
road when the accident occurred?

(Was there a problem with the
road when the accident occurred?)

The time. Gangwon Province...

Chuncheon.

(Was there a cause that influenced
the increased accident rate?)

The accidents had to be connected...

- or share a common cause. - Rainfall...

Rainfall...

(Abnormal weather conditions
on the day of the accident?)

The accidents were neither connected...

nor shared a common cause.

(Was there a similar
accident like this before?)

(What's the common
factor in all of the accidents?)

"What's the common
factor in all of the accidents?"

The only common factor in
these accidents and incidents...

(Park Mi Jung)

It was only Park Mi Jung.

(Park Mi Jung)

Is Park Mi Jung...

really a witch?

What are you doing in the rain?

What if you catch a cold?

Joong Hyuk.

I was wrong.

What is this about?

I can't find a way, Joong Hyuk.

Time has passed, and we became seniors.

Joong Hyuk was studying...

to take the civil servant exam
to become a police officer.

(Overview of Police Exam)

(Professor Hwang Jung
Sik, Statistics Department)

Come on in.

Hey.

I'm sure you know him.

It's Hong Jung h*. He started here in 2008.

- Yes. - Sit down.

It's been a while.

Yes, it has. I hope you've been well.

(CEO Hong Jung h*, Shine Solution)

Shine Solution?

I'll tell you more later.

Okay.

I became a data miner...

with the recommendation of Professor Hwang.

Let's go.

Joong Hyuk became a detective.

(Police)

(Statistics on Coffee Takeouts)

(Drawing 2-2, Seoul and Metropolitan Area)

(Graphs)

(Deaths, Injuries)

Here's the comparison draft.

I see. Thank you.

We became too busy with our lives.

We couldn't meet often.

(Taebaek General Hospital)

(Doctor's Office 2)

(Madam Oh Mi Sook)

Madam Oh, are you surveilling me?

How did you know I was headed home?

My gosh.

Are you just getting off work?

I had a lot of work.

- What about dinner? - I had dinner.

Mom, what's up?

My son.

It turns out I'm sick.

You should go to the hospital.

The doctor told me that
it was quite serious...

and recommended that
I see a doctor in Seoul.

Mom, it's going to be okay.
So don't worry too much.

Should I come and pick you up?

(Seun University Medical Center)

Hello.

You're here.

Mom.

My mother's illness...

drastically worsened.

How do I look?

Does it look good on me?

Yes. You look beautiful.

Did you manage to sneak it in?

Yes, I did.

Good job. Let's go.

Let's go. Give me that.

Mom. Cheers.

This is fun.

It feels like I'm getting younger.

Is there anything else you want to do?

Will you grant all of my wishes?

Of course. All of them.

I want to travel the world.
Can you make that happen?

Mom. Just get better quickly.

I can do better than that.

I'll send you out to space.

My gosh. That will cost a fortune.

Here's the thing you don't
know. Your son is very successful.

I make a lot of money too.

Maybe, I should have gone to church.

Now that I'm nearing
my end, I'm regretting it.

Be it the Almighty or whatever.
There could be a deity.

You're far from nearing your end. Come on.

My son.

We should start getting
things in order now.

Let's sell the house and the shop.

You'll get better soon and go back home.

Why sell them?

Let's do it while we can.

That's better for me.

It will be less of a hassle for you too.

Despite everything,

we were the lucky ones.

How?

How are we lucky?

You getting sick?

How does this make us the lucky ones?

We still have time.

We have time.

I won't be gone out of
the blue like your father.

Dong Jin.

I want to be on a
colourfully decorated bier.

A colourfully decorated bier?

Yes.

You promised.

I did?

Was it when you were five?

Ms. Yang from our
neighbourhood passed away.

When she was being
carried to the burial site...

on a colourfully decorated bier,

you just stood there quietly and watched.

You called me and asked, "What's that?"

I said, "Dong Jin."

"The flower palanquin
is taking Ms. Yang..."

"to paradise on a picnic."
When I said that, you asked,

"Did Dad take the same
palanquin to go to paradise?"

You stared at me when you asked me that.

So I said,

"Yes. Your dad went to
paradise on the same palanquin."

You said, "Then when you go to paradise,"

"I'll get you the flower palanquin."

"I promise. I'll get you
the flower palanquin."

You were so adorable.

Whatever.

Nowadays, many families
decide to cremate the body.

So it's over in a flash.

But there's no romance in that.

You see,

on my way out,

I'll be on the colourfully decorated bier.

That's how I'll go to your dad.

You'll make that happen, right?

(Dream Realtor)

Well, is it bad?

- Yes. - Oh, no.

I feel awful about it.

Ms. Oh is such a nice lady.

How unfortunate.

Let's put your house and
the shop on the market.

No, I don't want to put
the house on the market.

Why?

If no one lives in it,
managing it will be hard.

It's fine.

All right then.

So the 1,652m² of farmland
at the foot of Mount Gurae...

in Midong...

Right.

Then...

what will you do with the
house from that family?

Pardon? What house?

You know, your mother owns another house.

It was the house of
some witch or something.

Park's house in Jeongun-ri.

No one wanted to buy the house.

But she bought their
house and the farmland.

Anyway, she has a big heart.

But you didn't know about it?

Doesn't it feel nice?

If it bothers you,

you can try to find faith.

It's the Pascal's Wager,

the apologetic methodology
of a mathematician.

Whether there is a deity or not,

the probability of either
one being right is 50-50.

So not believing in a deity...

would result in getting
punished in the afterlife.

As someone who didn't go to university,

I don't understand.

That again.

I'm saying having faith is
better than not having it.

So...

is there a deity or not?

I'm saying believing that there is
a deity is advantageous for you.

Mathematically and logically speaking.

So what is it? Is there a deity or not?

Mom.

No mathematicians can be certain.

Nothing can be 100 percent certain...

because there is...

a possibility that there can
be exceptions in the world.

What a difficult concept.

Mom. By the way,

it's about Park Mi Jung's house.

Why did you do it?

The one...

who kicked her out of our village...

was me.

Stop it, Jong Soo.

Talk to him after you let go.

You people are no different.

Why didn't you stop him
from spouting such nonsense?

How can you when we live
in the same neighbourhood?

Your son isn't the only precious one!

(Jeongun-ri Village Hall)

Good grief. What a hot temper.

- He scared me there. - Really,

- that man is... - What happened?

Hey, Mi Sook.

Rumour has it that Park's daughter...

is bewitching all the young men.

That's ridiculous.

Even the Midong High
School students know about it.

So many male students got hurt.

Doesn't your son also
attend Midong High School?

Yes, he does. He's a senior.

Gosh.

Your son should also be careful.

You're right. Let's go.

- See you around, Mi Sook. - Bye.

Gosh, not a day goes by quietly.

My goodness.

Oh, my gosh.

He thinks he can do anything
just because he's a senior.

Gosh, when will these guys become mature?

(Countermeasure meeting:
The future of Mr. Park's family)

- Why do we need to hold a meeting?
- Come on.

Of course, we need to.
What are you talking about?

I mean...

Jong Soo wasn't bitten by a snake...

because of her.

We don't need to do this.

Oh, my. Yeong Chul,

Didn't you say all the strange
things happened in the village...

because of her before?

Why are you changing what you said before?

When did I say that?

Oh, my gosh. You're trying to back out now.

This is an important matter.

Yeong Chul.

Don't you remember what
happened to Hyun Kyu?

My heart is broken.

This is...

to make Midong a better place to live.

Everyone has lived here for a long time.

This is a wonderful place to live.

It is.

You guys helped me so much...

raising Dong Jin by myself.

But aren't you upset...

there's a rumour about a witch
because of that unlucky girl?

- I'm upset. - I am.

Don't we...

Don't we have to protect our children?

- Of course, we should. - Of course.

- I can't stay still. - I agree.

Let me see her face. I
wonder how she looks.

Why do you even ask? I
bet she looks like a sly fox.

Hyun Kyu was attacked by
a wild boar because of her.

Hey!

Come out!

What's the matter?

Can we talk for a moment?

Sure.

That's her?

Yes. Look at her eyes.

She looks like she'll
bring misfortune to people.

Don't meet Hyun Kyu. Do you understand?

That's enough.

I'm sorry. I'll...

I'll leave.

Are you just saying that?

- No. - I can't trust you.

I don't think she would lie.

Let's just go. Right now.

- Hurry up. - Should we go?

Let's go.

(Cigarettes, Ice Bars, Liquor)

(Sundries, liquor, beverages,
wholesale and retail)

(Ticket Office)

Where are you going?

The terminal.

The one in town?

How can you get there at night?

I always walked there. I'm fine.

Get in the car for now.
Let me take you there.

I'm really...

fine.

What do you mean you're fine?

It takes a long time
to get to the terminal.

Is there someone you know...

or a relative?

No.

Do you have...

any place to live?

No, I don't.

Thank you...

for taking care of me...

and offering me a ride.

I'm sorry.

It's because of me.

She was just like you.

She was just a young kid like you.

But I made her leave her hometown.

Is that...

why...

you bought her house?

Yes.

I heard it hadn't been sold for a while.

I thought I could see her and apologize...

when I signed the contract.

I was going to tell her to come back.

But...

she didn't show up.

I didn't know that night...

would be the last time.

I'm so relieved...

that you said...

she wasn't a witch.

You said...

there was no way she was a witch.

My smart son...

calculated everything with arithmetic.

(Report on Fatality Rates:
Denial of the Witch's Existence)

(Report on Fatality Rates:
Denial of the Witch's Existence)

(Books move people, and
people change the world.)

(Korean)

(English)

(Mathematics)

(Sample Questions)

(Report on Fatality Rates:
Denial of the Witch's Existence)

(That person was branded as a
witch in the town where she lived...)

(and eventually left as she couldn't
bear the stares of the people.)

As I lived,

I strangely found...

that sometimes...

I would meet certain people.

It was amazing how it happened that way.

So, I...

once thought...

I might see her again.

Because you always end
up meeting the people...

you're meant to meet.

Dong Jin.

If you ever meet her...

instead of me,

can you please say...

that I'm sorry?

Thank you, Mom.

Mom.

I love you.

Oh, right.

Did you contact your relatives?

How about your friends?

I should contact them now.

Give me their numbers. I'll contact them.

Thank you.

I...

liked my dad's camera.

It was a film camera.

I see.

I always took pictures of my friends.

Stray cats, trees,

and clouds too.

But...

I've never taken a picture of Mom.

I have never...

taken a picture of her.

Why isn't there a single solo photo of her?

My gosh.

It's funny.

Why do I find it so funny?

I loved taking pictures.

But there are no solo photos of her.

Not even a single one.

Mom was a good person.

Not to everyone,

but she was a good person.

When I was organizing her possessions...

after the funeral,

I found what I had forgotten about.

(Korean)

(Books move people, and
people change the world.)

(Books move people, and
people change the world.)

The books and report I
left behind at her house...

a long time ago.

Mom brought them all back.

"Report on Fatality Rates,"

"Denial of the Witch's Existence."

"I thought it was an appropriate method..."

"to perform predictions."

"Estimation method, sampling, and..."

The report, which Mom
wouldn't even understand,

was covered in her fingerprints.

"Sampling." It's difficult.

It showed how much she read it.

Mom might've believed in
my error-filled statistics...

that claimed she was not a witch.

"Therefore..."

As I lived...

Sometimes,

I would meet certain people.

It was amazing how it happened that way.

Because you always end
up meeting the people...

you're meant to meet.

I think I'm really cursed.

I just want to fade away...

and disappear without anyone knowing.

You might be a witch.

But...

you should never be a witch.

Just as my mom had hoped,

I will prove...

that you're not a witch.

(Special thanks to Jin Sun
Kyu for his cameo appearance)

You used statistics to prove that...

a series of accidents and deaths
in a village had nothing to do...

with one individual. I liked that idea.

Because of the witch's curse.

(Because of the witch's curse.)

It's so sudden.

I'm sorry.

Can I...

designate someone as the officer in charge?

I...

want to go somewhere.

When are you going to move in?

As soon as possible.

If it's urgent, you can move in right now.

But I want to move into
the unit upstairs, not here.

Who are you looking for?

- Sorry? - Who are you looking for?

In Taebaek, where we
were both born and raised,

I will find a clue to lift her curse