Start-Up Season 1 Episode 1 Recap – START-UP

[00:01:00] A kid looks out his window when a drone passes. It is a normal evening for everyone except those who are lucky enough to see the drones passing by. The drones make their way to a place called Sandbox, part of a light show, dazzling people that night. Fast forward to the present, a man is exercising when he asks for his schedule from Jang Yeong-sil, a famous Korean engineer and scientist in his lifetime, through an AI assistant developed by their company. Yeong-sil tells him his schedule, but it messes up when asked about the weather — Yeong-sil tells him his fortune. The man asks again in English, but Yeong-sil continues talking about the man’s fortune.

[00:03:30] Meanwhile, a woman enters a public bathroom for some privacy. She sits inside one of the stalls and removes her shoes. She takes a black marker and colors out the gray areas of her shoes — a lifehack — her shoes look brand new. The woman leaves the bathroom and starts walking to work. She browses through her phone. A selfie of a rich woman from the airport captioned #justlanded and #meaningfultime catches her attention. The woman puts on a fake smile for the picture but immediately frowns a second later when her assistant takes her things while walking out of the airport. It seems both women know each other.

[00:05:00] The man exercising earlier is Han Ji-pyeong. He drives his car to work and calls his assistant, telling him not to include Yeong-sil in his scheduled meeting at Sandbox; he thinks it is garbage, a disgrace to their ancestors. The assistant tries to defend Yeong-sil, but Ji-pyeong ends the call. The assistant finds it funny Ji-pyeong is so angry with Yeong-sil; he wonders what Yeong-sil told Ji-pyeong. The woman from the cubicle makes her way to Sandbox to attend the start-up relay lecture.

[00:06:30] A man from the crowd asks Won In-jae, the woman from the airport, about her eligibility at start-up. In-jae has accumulated a lot of haters; they know she is rich, and start-up is for people looking to start their own business, so it is basically for people needing help. In-jae responds the best revenge is indifference then asks if they can move on. A guy raises his hand, but the woman from the cubicle takes the mic from him. “My name is Seo Dal-mi,” then asks In-jae if she’s made any selfish decisions in her life. Dal-mi then calls her real name: Seo In-jae. The crowd is confused why Dal-mi called In-jae such.

[00:09:00] In-jae tells Dal-mi she has indeed made selfish decisions in her life; she’s only human. Then In-jae corrects Dal-mi by telling her and the crowd her name: Won In-jae. Fifteen years ago, Dal-mi and In-jae were in their room playing when their parents started arguing. Their mother was disappointed because their father was writing multiple resignation letters, thinking of starting his own business. His wife disapproved because she thought it would starve their family to death. She told her husband to quit their family first before he could quit his job.

[00:11:00] In-jae and Dal-mi were eating at their grandmother’s food stall. In-jae saw their father leaving for work, so she followed him, taking Dal-mi with her. She told Dal-mi they needed to stop their father from quitting his job, so their parents wouldn’t get a divorce. They followed their father to his workplace, where they saw firsthand the abuse he suffered from his boss, scolding him and hitting him repeatedly in front of his workmates. In-jae and Dal-mi cried as they pitied their father. At home, that night, they told their mother about what happened, but their mother didn’t care; all she cared about was the money, explaining money was more important as it determines their future. Without any money, they wouldn’t be able to afford school.

[00:15:30] Their father heard their mom talk about his duties to bring money for their needs. He apologized to his wife and asked for a divorce in front of the sisters. Their mother asked them where they wanted to live. In-jae went with their mother while Dal-mi stayed with their father, explaining how Dal-mi is still poor while In-jae is already rich. Back at Sandbox, In-jae asks Dal-mi if she regrets her decision. Dal-mi responds there are exceptions to regretting one’s decision. She thanks In-jae for her time and corrects her name in front of everyone: Seo In-jae to Won In-jae. Ji-pyeong finally remembers where he heard the name Dal-mi before.

[00:17:00] Fifteen years ago, Ji-pyeong was at the food stall the morning when Dal-mi and In-jae decided to follow their father. He wanted to eat, but he didn’t have any money. Ji-pyeong was an orphan; the money he got for leaving the orphanage wasn’t enough. He couldn’t touch the money because he needed it to rent somewhere to sleep. Ji-pyeong won a virtual investment competition, but the prize was virtual money, and he couldn’t use it to pay for anything yet. Ji-pyeong wandered the area looking for a cheap place to stay, but Dal-mi’s grandmother offered to let him stay in her food stall. He lied to the old lady and told her he had a place to stay. The old lady told him where she put her keys to the food stall and left.

[00:21:00] Ji-pyeong took the old lady’s offer and slept in the food stall. He even ate the food she left on the table for him. The old lady woke up the next day and realized she had forgotten her earnings from the previous day at the food shop. She didn’t want to doubt Ji-pyeong, but she couldn’t take her mind off the money. She went to the food stall and saw her money was still there. Ji-pyeong told the old lady she needed to put her money in a bank account, but the old lady didn’t understand a thing about bank accounts, so she allowed Ji-pyeong to manage hers. Ji-pyeong helped the old lady open an account; he invested her money in an investment firm.

[00:27:00] Dal-mi felt Ji-pyeong was following her around, so she told him not to because she was in a difficult situation. Dal-mi went to her grandmother and cried on her shoulder. She told her In-jae left with their mother. The old lady was shocked. Ji-pyeong was standing across the street and heard everything Dal-mi said. That night, Dal-mi’s grandmother asks Ji-pyeong for a favor. She asks Ji-pyeong to write a letter, using a fake name, to help Dal-mi as things were difficult for her. They took a name from the newspaper: Nam Do-San.

[00:30:00] Ji-pyeong was skeptical that the letter would cheer Dal-mi up, but it surpassed its intended purpose. Dal-mi got the letter from her grandmother, and she immediately showed it to her father. Dal-mi was so happy with the letter; she planned to write back. Her father knew the letter was fake, but he didn’t tell her. He went to his mother and gave her Dal-mi’s response to Nam Do-san’s letter. He told her he knew the letter came from her, but Dal-mi fell for it. She told Dal-mi’s father to put the letter in the birdhouse because of Do-san’s instructions. He told his mother he would work hard to make his family whole again, promising to fulfill it within a year. Time passed by; Dal-mi continued to write to “Do-san.” Ji-pyeong continued to use Do-san’s name, responding to Dal-mi’s letters.

[00:36:00] Dal-mi secretly met with In-jae to eat and talk, but each time they met, In-jae changed. Meanwhile, their father is still struggling to get his business going. He kept talking to possible investors, but they weren’t interested in what he had to offer. One day, Dal-mi gave In-jae’s music box; she left it when they moved out. In-jae told Dal-mi she should’ve thrown the music box away. Dal-mi told In-jae the music box came from their father, so she couldn’t throw it away. In-jae told Dal-mi their mother remarried, and they’re moving to the US to join her stepfather. Dal-mi felt terrible; their father promised to make their family whole again. She asked In-jae why she didn’t stop their mother from getting married.

[00:40:00] In-jae saw and felt what it was like to be rich, and she didn’t want to be poor again. She told Dal-mi she made the wrong decision to live with their father. But Dal-mi told In-jae she’s the one who made the wrong decision. In-jae responded time will tell who among them made the wrong decision. She returned the music box to Dal-mi and told her she’s no longer her sister. Dal-mi got so angry she threw the music box away. She charged towards In-jae and pulled on her hair. After the lecture, Dal-mi meets with In-jae. They talk about how Dal-mi’s life has been going. She tries so hard to make it look like her life is better than In-jae’s, but it isn’t. Dal-mi tells In-jae she’s also looking to start her own business; her partner is Nam Do-san.

[00:44:00] In-jae decides to invite Dal-mi to her company event. She tells Dal-mi to take Do-san with her. Dal-mi tells In-jae that Do-san hates public events. In-jae now knows Dal-mi is still poor; she made the right decision. In-jae leaves, but Dal-mi’s pride couldn’t accept In-jae made the correct decision. She stops In-jae’s car and tells her she will bring Do-san to her event to prove her wrong. Dal-mi regrets her decision; she really doesn’t know Do-san. She searches for Do-san on social media, but she doesn’t know what he looks like. The people at the bus stop get worried; Dal-mi is acting crazy. But she tells them she’s not crazy, but then she starts laughing out loud.

[00:47:30] Ji-pyeong decides to follow Dal-mi secretly. He saw Dal-mi waiting for the bus. He also thinks Dal-mi is going crazy. Dal-mi rides the bus; Ji-pyeong follows the bus. She gets off near a park, so Ji-pyeong follows her on foot. Dal-mi arrives at her grandmother’s food cart. Ji-pyeong sees the old woman and remembers how they parted ways when he was still a teenager. The old woman went to the bank to get her money. She needed the money because her son placed his house as collateral to get a loan for his business. She wanted to help him pay the interest, so his son wouldn’t lose his house. The old woman thought she would only get 8 million won, but the teller told her she had around 80 million won.

[00:51:00] The old woman didn’t know why she had so much money. She realized it was Ji-pyeong’s money because the teller told her the money was made through stock investments and trading. She told the teller to take all the money out despite it being Ji-pyeong’s money. Meanwhile, Ji-pyeong was looking to rent his own apartment; he knew he had enough money to pay. He went to an ATM to make a withdrawal, but the account was already closed. He realized the old woman had taken his money. Ji-pyeong went back to the food stall and saw the old woman speaking to her son. She handed her son a black bag full of money. Her son received a call and immediately left with the money. Ji-pyeong cried because he thought it was his money.

[00:53:00] Dal-mi’s father left for an important meeting with an investor. He was about to miss the bus, so he crossed the road despite the red light. He got hit by a car and fell on the road. His head was bleeding, but he refused to go to the hospital — he really needed to attend the meeting with his investors. The investor at that time is Ms. Yoon: founder of Sandbox. She asked Dal-mi’s father a few questions about his business model. They like his business model and would love to proceed with investing in his company, but they were not sure where their profits would come from. He responded he didn’t want to make a paid business model yet; he wanted to concentrate on gaining more users at the start. Dal-mi’s father told Ms. Yoon he had seen many businesses fail, pursuing profits at the onset.

[00:57:00] Ms. Yoon agreed with his views, so they would invest. Dal-mi’s father felt great. He held back his tears in front of his investors, but he knew it would be the fulfillment of his hopes and dreams. His nose started bleeding, but he just told them he’s so happy that his nose was bleeding. Meanwhile, Ji-pyeong went back to the old lady to get his things. She tried to ask for his help, but Ji-pyeong refused to help her. The old lady stopped Ji-pyeong from leaving. She asked him where he’s going. Ji-pyeong responded he’s going to Seoul. The old lady told Ji-pyeong he couldn’t leave in a heartbeat. Ji-pyeong reacted violently and confronted the old lady about his money.

[00:58:30] Ji-pyeong told the old lady the truth as to why he followed her to the bank. He explained he’s an orphan in an unfair world. He received money from the orphanage when they kicked him out because he was too old for the orphanage. Ji-pyeong may have been too old to stay at the orphanage, but he was still too young to be thrown into the real world. He couldn’t even open a bank account. Ji-pyeong thought the old woman had stolen his money, so he demanded that she give it back. The old woman went inside the food stall and returned to give back Ji-pyeong’s money. She told him the money she gave her son was only her money. Ji-pyeong felt embarrassed. He couldn’t even apologize for accusing the old lady. He just said goodbye and left.

[01:00:00] Dal-mi sat in the park looking at In-jae’s broken music box. She got a call from her father, who told her he’s finally getting an investor. He told Dal-mi it was only the beginning; he was hopeful their family would become whole again. Dal-mi wanted to tell her father the truth, but he interrupted her. He told Dal-mi about the future and why he left his company. He knew his plans would be the future. Dal-mi couldn’t tell her father the truth about her mother. She couldn’t tell him their family would never be whole again. Dal-mi told her father she believed in him, and he’ll be a huge success. She requested fried chicken. He told Dal-mi he’ll also buy them coke to celebrate.

[01:03:00] Dal-mi told her father she loved him very much. As he was leaving the building, Ms. Yoon went to the elevator and took a ride with him. They were talking about business when he told Ms. Yoon about what happened with Dal-mi when she was still young. Dal-mi fell from a swing and hurt her knee. She requested to put sand under the swing to have some support if she ever falls again. He did as Dal-mi asked and placed sand under the swing. Dal-mi fell again, but this time it no longer hurts. It was the idea of start-up, and it came from Dal-mi’s father. He left Ms. Yoon in the elevator, but he asked where he could buy fried chicken before he left.

[01:07:00] Ji-pyeong was waiting for the bus to leave when the old lady showed up with a brand new pair of sneakers. She told Ji-pyeong she was worried about his old shoes, so she bought him a new pair. Ji-pyeong told the old lady he would pay her back for the shoes, but she refused the payment. She told Ji-pyeong not to bother reaching out if he ever becomes rich. She wanted Ji-pyeong to reach out when he needed her most, just like how she helped her before. The conductor told the passengers the bus for Seoul was leaving. Ji-pyeong asked the old lady if she wanted something or wished for something so that he could repay her. The old lady responded she’s not interested in his payment.

[01:11:00] Dal-mi’s father boarded the bus going home. He bought Dal-mi some chicken, but it seemed he would no longer make it home. He suddenly lost balance as his right hand twitched vigorously. Dal-mi’s father didn’t know why he’s shaking, but another passenger thought he was drunk. Dal-mi’s father told the passenger he wasn’t drunk, but the passenger didn’t listen. Dal-mi waited patiently for her father to arrive while In-jae and her mother were going to America that same night. Ji-pyeong cried as the bus headed to Seoul. He felt bad for what happened between him and the old lady.

[01:13:30] Everyone got off on one of the stops, but no one bothered to check on Dal-mi’s father. He could no longer move as the bag of chicken fell from his hand, spilling on the floor. A tear fell from his face as the bus made its way to the last stop. Back to the present, Dal-mi writes another letter for Do-san and leaves it inside the birdhouse. Meanwhile, Ji-pyeong goes back to the park to help the old lady open her food stall. The old lady recognizes him and asks if he needs a place to stay and if he’s alright. Ji-pyeong looks at her and hugs her tight.

[01:20:00] Meanwhile, the real Nam Do-san is working on his application. He finally made his app work as he tests the code he finished. He celebrates with his team; they know it will be the start of their hopes and dreams as well.