Wonsu got caught at class.
(How do l say) ''get me a porno mag''?
(Please buy me an adult magazine.)
That just doesn't sound right,
so l said ''get me a porno mag''!
Mom met a famous actor.
l'm your fan.
lt's really you, Yasu?
Love your movies.
Just private...
Have some milk, Keep you fit.
And with mom coming and going,
lots was going on.
And in my case...
Ouch.
This is me.
Just like Bruce Lee, right?
Let's go.
Stupid to lend the video.
That day Sakurai said let's try
walking on the white line as far as we can.
How many girls you dated?
One.
So few.
And you?
One too.
Left a college guy 6 months back.
You're an adult.
Used to like confident guys way back.
Just 6 months ago.
Girls have a phase like that.
Wanna know how far l got with him?
l'd rather not know.
What's that?
What's what?
Brothers and sisters?
Only child.
Got an older sister.
Hometown?
Don't have...
a hometown.
Mom and pop are from Yokohama and Kyushu.
What?
Was told to call them ''mom and pop'',
but didn't even if l got hit...
Your dad hits you?
Sometimes.
Really?
Put on your shoes.
Feels better this way.
Go, go straight ahead.
Alright, finished!
Whose house?
My house.
Made an appointment.
Appointment?
For Sugihara.
Thanks.
My first dinner at a Japanese home.
Would you prefer beer?
No thanks.
You like this country?
My boyfriend heard this one before.
Not too many countries without policy like Japan.
Almost embarrassed to be Japanese.
So l don't even vote.
Um...
Know the meaning of ''Japan''?
Land of the rising sun?
Some people think so,
but there are other theories too,
like it coming from ancient poetry.
Not taught at school?
Yeah.
Point is, no one knows the meaning of the name.
Not too many countries like that.
And?
And,
that's the point.
What does ''Japan'' mean?
Land of the rising sun.
But l thought that wasn't true.
Let's go.
Thank you.
Some cantaloupe.
Later.
This? My pop's hobby.
Over here.
First name.
No one said it down there.
l told them.
Look?
Lick?
Love... you.
After that, we always met at Sakurai's house.
We got closer together
we did a lot of things l can't tell you
but we didn't go all the way.
Yes.
Dad sent me.
Thanks.
Enjoy.
Scared me.
Oh yeah,
want to go to the opera next Saturday?
Opera!?
Cavalleria Rusticana.
Wanted to see La Traviata but it's not on.
Opera...
l'm going to the opera...
Gotta save some money.
Opera expensive?
Maybe.
By the way, does she know?
Know what?
About you... everything about you.
Um...
Thinking of telling her soon.
Tell her after the opera.
You remember the ''Great Chicken Race?''
Why you bring that up?
You looked so cool back then.
What, you were there?
Recently,
l remember how you were then.
Tawake
Remember Tawake? The real fast guy.
He made it too.
What's he doing now?
Stupid, l...
Yeah.
gave my
fingerprint.
This is when foreign residents
still had to give their fingerprints.
Thought l'd give 'em
a real good beating but...
The girl with the forms had a bruise on her face.
When l pressed my finger,
She covered it up like this.
l couldn't touch 'em.
l said, ''Sorry''.
Never kowtowed like that before.
Finally got caught.
Authority's scary.
Don't run fast enough,
you can't get away.
Stupid, you're my
... successor.
Get it.
l heard after that incident
Tawake quit school and became South Korean.
Really.
Wonder what he's up to.
Gotta be running down some street.
For sure.
Get it.
Just imitating Tawake.
See ya.
Stupid?
Jong-il. What's up?
Free tomorrow?
Got something to tell you. Big thing.
C'mon, tell me now.
Not on the phone, in person.
You'd understand.
You're dirt if you don't pick up the Korean.
More like shit.
A real pussy.
Bet 500 yen you can't.
For good luck.
Go.
Excuse me.
What is it?
No, l didn't mean...
What the hell!
Ambulance!
Call an ambulance!
Somebody, please,
call an ambulance!
ln the end,
Jong-il took the ''big thing'' to heaven.
Jong-il really thought
highly of you.
Thank you so much,
for being
his friend.
Mom.
Hey.
Skip school tomorrow.
Why?
You know why.
lt's payback time for those bastards.
What's the point?
l'm asking you.
You in or not?
Jong-il wouldn't want it.
Jong-il's dead, Stupid.
Left us some business to take care of.
He wants you to do it the most.
What do you know about Jong-il?
You hardly even knew him.
You just want to get violent.
Just want a sacrifice.
Don't need your excuses.
You sold your soul, man.
lf l had a soul like that,
l'd sell it for 20 yen.
Wanna buy it?
What's in a name?
That which we call a rose by any other name,
would smell as sweet.
Should l stay,
the night with you?
l'll be with you,
until you wake up.
Why?
Not sure but,
that's what l'd want if l were you.
l love you.
What's the matter?
Tell you something.
l don't think it's a big deal but...
l have to say it now.
What? What is it?
Just listen, listen to me.
l'm ...
l'm not Japanese.
What do you mean?
Like l said.
My nationality's different.
What is it?
South Korean.
North Korean until junior high.
Might be Japanese 6 months later.
What are you saying?
l'm saying it doesn't matter.
You were born and raised in Japan?
Yeah.
Education is different.
North Korean school until Junior high.
So l learned Korean.
l mean, l'm bilingual.
l can cheer for both Korea and Japan.
Cool, right?
... That's it.
Why?
What's the matter?
Pop told me when l was little...
Don't go out with
Koreans or Chinese.
ls there...
a reason for that?
Don't know.
Pop said...
blood of Chinese and Koreans...
is dirty.
What's so funny?
Sorry.
Why apologize?
l understand but...
it's no use.
My body...
having you inside makes me...
scared.
You said it was no big deal.
How could you,
bring this thing up,
and ruin everything.
My first time.
l was scared as it is.
Say something.
My first name,
is Tsubaki.
Like the Japonica flower.
Tsubaki Sakurai,
...so Japanese l didn't want to tell you.
My name is Lee Jong-ho.
Like Bruce Lee.
A totally foreign name.
Scared to tell you.
Hey you.
Hey.
Got 120 yen?
OK.
Man,
want a coffee but don't have change.
Why out so late?
Well, um...
Where were you?
Over there.
Your name and address?
What's the matter?
No way.
Can't believe it.
Gotta smoke?
l wasn't made to be a cop.
Never good at sports.
Got a weak body,
look stupid in uniform.
Don't think so.
l faint at the sight of blood.
l'm sorry.
Yeah,
all l wanted was 120 yen.
Thought l'd be arrested
for not having my alien card.
l'm South Korean.
A South Korean.
No,
A resident.
Residents have to carry an alien card?
lmprisonment or a 200,000 yen fine.
No way.
Have to arrest you.
Didn't even know.
l dated a Korean girl once.
Really?
She couldn't cook.
She made this awful Kimchi.
Had to wash it first.
But she was really cute.
Had a Japanese girlfriend until now.
Until now?
Worried about stupid things.
Like my pronunciation of names
like Jean Claude van Damme.
Could always see her panties.
Awesome!
She was so cute.
What actress did she look like?
Can't think of anyone.
Maybe like...
the actress who came to our parade?
Forget her name.
Whatever !
l got it.
Yeah,
l really loved her.
l didn't mind discrimination before,
but l got scared after l met her.
l never met a Japanese l really loved before.
Always got tripped up.
l told her l was a Japanese-born Korean.
And?
Scary.
No way.
Sometimes l wish my skin was green.
That way l'd always know l'm Korean.
They'd stay away from the ''scary'' guy.
l sometimes wish l had a more stupid uniform.
A sailor suit or leotards.
People wouldn't ask for directions.
Gotta go.
Yep.
Good luck.
lf you're a good guy, they'll come.
Don't worry.
Get some chicks sometime.
Stationed over there.
Hello.
Could you please
come to pick me up?
Been a while since you been this drunk.
l'm sorry.
Lucky night?
The opposite.
What?
Got two phone calls in a row.
First,
another exchange counter went under.
Second,
l got a call from North Korea.
And?
Tae-Hyun died.
Tae-Hyun was my dad's brother.
ln other words, my uncle.
He went back to North Korea in the 50s.
Never was able to meet him.
When my dad became South Korean,
the letters came to a halt.
He was good at painting.
When we were kids,
he painted sunrises,
on the bow of a fishing boat.
Three days later,
the boat hit a storm.
When everyone lost hope,
it came back the next day.
After that he became a famous painter.
He'd paint on the boat and get food for it.
Yeah,
We ate crab for the first time.
So delicious we cried.
Yeah,
Should've sent him crab.
Wonder if,
he ever ate crab up north.
All BULLSHlT !
Enough poverty stories.
Why not a revolution to eat crab?
Nobody's crying any more.
Get it fucking together!
Your generation never did shit!
He's your father!
No father of mine.
Sir, can l hit him?
Now, now.
Just a punch drunkard.
Driver.
Can you go over to that park?
Be finished in 3 minutes.
Even if he lost his brother
or business, he has no right to whine.
l'll be the first to knock him down.
Kids these days carry weapons.
Need a bell, a bell.
The Champion!
Let your guard down, fool.
You cheated.
Cheated ?
l always found a way to win,
and that won't change.
Asshole.
What you say may be right.
lt's not our time anymore.
Talking about Zainichi and Japanese
is bullshit, as you like to say.
You guys should be open-minded.
l'll wipe out borders.
Remember,
our ancestors have been liars
since the Lee Dynasty.
Sir, l found it.
l found it, here.
Will the business be OK?
Yeah,
l saved up enough for mom and l to get by.
lf we go back to zero, that's OK.
Can't take care of you though.
l'll kill you if you touch pop again.
l'm the one who got hurt.
Ouch!
Look, the love of a wife for her husband.
Shut up.
Stupid husband !
Why you hitting me?
l'm sorry.
Why the stupid picture in our entrance?
Why the change in their nationality?
lt wasn't to go to Hawaii.
lt was for me.
My father tried to take the shackles off my legs.
Going to college.
Really?
By the will of Jong-il.
As you like.
(l'm not Korean
or Japanese.
l'm grass without roots.)
6 months later
Quick.
Hey.
Stop singing and get it.
Power's out.
Hello.
Hello
Long time no see.
How are you?
l'm OK.
You remember the school where we met?
Go there.
l'll be waiting
until you come.
Said you need a false tooth.
Shut up.
What am l?
Goddamn it!
What am l?
Answer. What am l !?
Japanese-born Korean !
How can you call me a ''Korean'' like that?
By calling me ''Korean'',
means l'm a stranger leaving the country!
ls that what you're saying?
Feel like killing you
fucking Japanese sometimes.
Scare you guys, don't l
Need to fucking call me somethin' !
Right?
OK, l'm a lion.
Lions don't think they're ''lions''.
You fucking gave 'em that name.
Come near me,
and l'll rip your neck off.
Any name is OK.
Viper, scorpion,
why not an 'alien'?
But l don't think l'm a fucking alien!
l'm not a
Korean or ''alien'' .
l'm ME.
No, l'll give up being me.
l'm a fucking question mark.
A BlG unknown.
That scary?
Fucking say something!
Goddamn it!
Don't like it?
l don't give a shit!
Those eyes.
l loved those eyes.
The other day, l was depressed by bad test grades.
Somehow, l was really impressed,
You were so cool the way you kicked that guy.
When l saw you on the court,
all my problems were nothing.
So cool l couldn't stop laughing.
l learned ''cool'' could be funny
for the first time.
Stop Sugihara!
Sugihara.
That's when l knew your name.
Know what you did, don't you?
Come along.
This,
is like then.
Sorry l'm not psychic.
When you stared at me,
l got the shivers.
Don't care what you are.
Now l know.
From the first moment l saw you, maybe,
l already knew.
Crying?
Lots of tough guys outside.
Have to break through.
No way !
And it's Christmas Eve !
So embarrassing. This can't be!
Let's go somewhere warm.
We can think about where we'll stay.
Wanted to tell you,
your toothless grin is so cute !
Shut up.
C'mon,
let's go.
The End