Bullied

Episode 2. Bullied

Kang Pi-o has a nightmare about strangling Choi Jeong-yo to death. He breaks his wristwatch and sees Jeong-yo’s photo in the program of a competition that he lost.

Jeong-yo catches Pi-o alone in the classroom and reminds him of borrowing a handkerchief and playing the piano together as children. Pi-o denies any memory of the past with him.

Jeong-yo practices with Hong Jae-in as promised, he tells her that he just wants to graduate high school that’s why he’s there.

Kang Pi-o’s mother Ji-hye urges him to study abroad because Professor Seo convinced other professors not to teach him and he needs to have a teacher. She confronts her father about the harsh treatment Pi-o receives from him.

At a convenience store, Pi-o sees Jeong-yo working as cashier. When thug classmates enter, Jeong-yo refuses to sell them alcohol, and they trash the store. The owner arrives, sees the mess, and fires Jeong-yo. Jeong-yo is desolate and rides the bus to Korea Arts High School’s Nagwon Musical Instrument Arcade, enters an old piano warehouse, and finds his old forgotten piece. He recalls being told to imagine the composer’s feelings while playing it. He retrieves the score sheets.

At school, Seok-hwan teases him by throwing the music sheets out the window. Kang Pi-o attacks the boys, shocked at his own violence. He gathers the scattered sheets, recalling Jeong-yo’s anger when these were taken from him saying that these were important.

Pi-o overhears parents questioning Jeong-yo’s scholarship and demanding his expulsion. Professor Do Hyun-woo challenges Director Yoon Seong-ju about it, saying that the talent would be wasted. 

Meeting Jeong-yo, Professor Do offers to drop the expulsion, but Jeong-yo insists it’s for the best and thanks him. Later, Jeong-yo finds the discarded sheets on his table and keeps them. Kang Pi-o meets him in the corridor and Jeong-yo says goodbye. Pi-o then obtains CCTV footage from the store owner and gives it to Director Yoon as evidence to the bullying of Seok-hwan and Han-rim.

Director Yoon shows the video to the mothers of the boys, threatening to expose them as bullies. They agree to overturn Choi Jeong-yo’s expulsion. Kang Pi-o sees the bulletin board announcement and feels happy. Director Yoon instructs Professor Do to begin Jeong-yo’s training to prove his unusual talent.

Kang Ji-hye begs Professor Do Hyun-soo to take Kang Pi-o as a student. Professor Do reconsiders and messages Pi-o to meet him, suggesting duets with Jeong-yo. Though resistant, Pi-o eventually agrees to play a four-hand sonata.

Professor Do tells Choi Jeong-yo he must perform a duet recital with Kang Pi-o. Jeong-yo delays practice, making excuses, until Pi-o realizes stage fright is the issue.

Hyung, Jeong-yo’s old friend, warns him that Mr. Kim is looking for him and advises him to stay hidden at school. Feeling safer there, Jeong-yo begs Pi-o to practice at lunchtime and apologizes for missing sessions. He notices broken glass shards at Pi-o’s desk, realizing the bullies wanted to injure their hands in revenge.

Choi Jeong-yo confesses his stage fright to Kang Pi-o. Pi-o recalls how Jeong-yo lost his mother during a childhood piano competition. To help, Pi-o prepares the small auditorium with candles, assuring him that everyone experiences stage fright in varying degrees. They practice until 1:00 a.m., locked inside the school. Jeong-yo teaches Pi-o to jump from the second floor onto soft leaves as cushion and climb the gate, shouting, “I’m the king of the world!” just as the guard nearly catches them.

Jeong-yo begins to take interest in practice, booking practice rooms himself. Pi-o brings him to an open-air park auditorium to test performing before an audience. Pi-o encourages him to pretend no one is there and focus only on him and the piece. Jeong-yo plays with eyes closed and overcomes the fear, earning applause for their performance at the end. Ecstatic, he realizes he can perform in public. He teaches Kang Pi-o finger techniques for pieces as they walk.

They fall asleep together on the train returning to Sindang.

 

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