Boy in the Pool (2024)

[bunniefuu]

Please wash your hands

during summer vacation.

Don't forget about

the emergency contact network.

Stay safe in the water.

Can't you stay?

Please don't leave.

Visit us during vacation.

Don't cry just because

you miss me.

Just come live at my place.

Aww...

I'll buy you tteokbokki!

I'll come visit you often

during vacation, so don't cry.

Call me once a day!

Please don't...

Why are you crying?

Don't cry.

You're making me sad, too.

We will see you at

the swim meets, okay?

- Seok-young, don't cry.

- Don't cry.

Stop, you're giving

me a headache.

Leave her alone.

Can't you stay still

for even a minute?

Are you worried you

won't be able to swim?

We'll unpack and then

find a pool for you, okay?

Where's the sea?

Where's Dad?

(Boy in the Pool)

(Summer, 2007)

This is your room.

We're staying here only

during vacation, right?

We'll see.

Are we going to live here?

We might.

Seriously?

Yes.

Go unpack.

You brought in

Ga-young's stuff, right?

Until when?

I told you to go unpack!

Yoo Seok-young!

Wait!

Aren't you Mrs. Cho's

granddaughter?

Come over here for a minute.

Yes, it's you!

Wow, it's been so long!

Here, you want to have some?

Look how much you've grown!

How's your grandmother?

She passed away.

Oh, right.

I forgot.

You must be sad.

Have it now.

Go ahead.

(Super Market)

I'm here to take swimming classes.

I'm not the person

to ask about it.

Isn't there an instructor?

No one's around.

Did you come by yourself?

Where's your mom?

She's dead.

I'll just come back later.

See you.

Help...

Stop!

You're...

Are you okay?

Hey!

Hey!

You were at

the pool earlier, right?

How long have you been swimming?

How much have you learned?

I didn't learn anything.

What?

Such a liar.

- You live there, right?

- No.

Then, where do you live?

Don't follow me.

Why did you save me, then?

What's your name?

I'm Yoo Seok-young!

Kim Woo-joo!

Woo-joo.

Do you want to take

swimming classes?

No.

The kids' class has been delayed

during vacation, so you got time.

They're not the reason

why I don't swim!

I know, but...

I meant you are always welcome.

I knew it, you live here!

Hello.

Nice meeting you.

Yoo Seok-young, 13 years old...

Here to take a class?

Yes, can she start today?

Sure.

How much has she learned?

Freestyle, backstroke...

I learned the butterfly, too.

Oh, really?

I even won a trophy.

I'll look forward to

watching you swim, then.

She'll do fine

in the kids' class.

I'll go sign you up.

Do you want to start right away?

Class starts at 10.

How good are the others?

They're preparing to become

professional athletes.

What about him?

Woo-joo?

Isn't he going to

become an athlete?

He doesn't take classes?

No, he doesn't.

Then, he must have

practiced secretly.

She's a liar.

She said her mom was dead.

She probably lied

about winning the trophy.

I did win a trophy.

It's not a lie!

You don't even know how to swim.

I can swim better than you.

- No, you can't!

- Yes, I can!

I just had a foot

cramp that day!

Come on, everyone!

Let's warm up!

Don't run.

It's time to warm up.

Woo-joo, give me

your swimming goggles.

I'll adjust them for you.

Wait!

Your socks!

Hey!

You have one more hour

to swim, if you want.

Where did he go?

Woo-joo?

He went home.

How old is he?

Woo-joo's 12, so he's

one year younger than you.

What?

He's younger than me?

Did you think

you were the same age?

He's much smaller than you.

Doesn't he want to swim with me?

If you ask him to swim,

he'll probably say yes.

- Why are you here?

- Your bike.

Hey, I'm sorry.

Socks aren't allowed. I was

just trying to take them off.

Where are your mom and dad?

I have no parents.

Do you live alone?

No, with my grandma.

Is it nice to live with

your grandma?

Yes, it is.

Goodbye.

I don't have a grandma.

- You're lying again.

- I'm telling the truth.

She died at 10 p.m.

on June 7th.

You'll come swim with me

next week, right?

Only if you don't

pull off my socks.

Socks aren't allowed

in the pool.

Fine, fine.

But why won't you take them off?

When is Dad coming?

He must be busy.

I'm going to sleep.

Don't let Ga-young

watch too much TV.

You should go to bed, too.

Excuse me.

Where's Woo-joo?

He's probably riding his bike.

Kim Woo-joo!

Why won't you take

swimming classes?

You saved my life.

I know you're a good swimmer.

I hate swimming.

Show some respect.

You're only 12.

I'm older than you.

How old are you, then?

I'm 13.

We're only a year apart.

Hey, I said respect!

Let's have a race.

If you lose, you respect me.

Why should I?

You said you could swim better

than me, so prove yourself.

Can you keep a secret?

I'll show you, just once.

So, can you keep a secret?

Yes.

Wait, show me again.

I told you I'd show

you just once.

Hey!

Can't you show me one more time?

My feet hurt.

I won't tell anyone.

Can I touch them?

It's not slippery.

Doesn't it tickle?

Really?

You shouldn't bend your hands.

Catch as much water as possible.

Even if the water makes

you spread your fingers,

keep them together

and catch the water.

Lie back.

Try it now.

No, like this!

Hey!

How are you so good at swimming?

Do you swim instead of

taking baths?

Then, I won't bathe either.

Don't be ridiculous.

You're a good swimmer.

Do you want to hang out with us?

What was your name again?

Kim Woo-joo.

Kim Woo-joo?

What a cool name!

What time do you take classes?

You should hang out with us.

Which one are you good at?

Backstroke or butterfly?

Stop it!

I'll admit it.

You're the best grade school

swimmer I've ever seen.

You'll keep swimming

with me, right?

Yeah.

Let's become professional

athletes together.

Cool! Right here.

Let's keep swimming.

Until we die.

Okay!

The girl's good, too.

With girls,

it's too early to tell.

That's so weird.

Why do they need to start

swimming

at an early age, then?

Let me be frank.

There are plenty of girls

who are better than her.

No, she has potential.

She's competitive and diligent.

The boy is special, for sure.

I can tell.

He hasn't got the techniques down,

but he might go far

if I train him.

Are you crying?

I don't want to swim anymore.

You begged me to let you swim.

Are you really going to quit?

If it's that hard, just give up.

We already paid for the month.

Take classes until then.

Reach out more!

Look at your record.

Remember two things.

Take shorter breaths.

Grab the water

and pull until the very end.

And relax your shoulders, okay?

Let's race, fair and square.

Fair and square?

Yeah.

Freestyle, 25 meters.

No flippers.

No flippers.

How will I know

you didn't cheat?

Never mind.

On three, then.

One...

Two...

Three!

(Seoul Youngsan Physical

High School's Kim Woo-joo)

(Video of Kim Woo-joo setting

a new national record)

Woo-joo, I'll ask you

one last question.

How did you start swimming?

Someone said I was

the best grade school swimmer.

I see...

Please keep reaching

new heights.

(Sonate)

(Summer, 2013)

Kim Woo-joo.

You can't be in a slump

right before a swim meet.

That national record

was nothing, you idiot.

It's not a slump.

After the other athletes finish

training, do one more interval.

Got it?

No, thanks.

People already talk

about me behind my back.

Too bad you can't train.

I want to sprain my ankle, too.

What?

You're doomed.

Why?

You keep getting injured.

It's fine.

Sports isn't

the only way of life.

Hey, slow down.

You're going too fast.

Slow down!

Hey, where are you going?

Kim Woo-joo!

Yoo Seok-young!

What took you so long?

Do you know me?

Yeah, we took the same class.

But today was my first day.

Not today.

5 years ago.

But no wonder

you don't remember me.

You quit pretty soon after

your friend moved away.

You mean swimming?

Why did you quit?

I can't become an athlete.

Why should I try my best?

I'm not going to

become an athlete,

but I'm still trying my best.

Want me to walk you home?

(Who is the aquarium for?)

(The 6th Wolam Water Festival)

Wow, it's been so long!

What are you doing here?

Do you remember me?

Of course.

You moved to Seoul

to become a swimmer.

I have a good memory, don't I?

Yes, you do.

Have you won a medal?

Oh...

I'm here for the Water Festival.

Really?

Come visit my store, then.

Bring your grandmother, okay?

She passed away.

Everyone's dying.

It's hard to keep track.

Wait a second.

Here, take this.

That's okay.

Take it, it's fine.

(Caution Safety First)

What are you doing tomorrow?

I'm going to the academy. Why?

Do you want to work with me?

What do you mean?

They need staff

at the Water Festival.

I see.

Are you really not going to

tell me your name?

Oh, right.

I'll tell you my initials.

- They're similar to yours.

- Mine?

Yoo Seok-young.

YSY?

Kim Woo-joo?

Yoon Sung-hwa.

Oh, right.

Yoon Sung-hwa.

Yoon Sung-hwa.

(Yoon Sung-hwa)

Yoo Ga-young.

Stop acting weird.

I'm not.

When are you going to

talk to me, then?

When you become fine with it.

Me?

What are you talking about?

Do you need help packing?

No, I'm almost done.

(Water Festival

Convenience Store)

Here's your kimchi-jeon.

Thank you.

Seok-young?

Damn it!

That hurts!

We'll k*ll you!

Hey!

I'm tired...

I'm hungry.

- Let's go have tteokbokki.

- Aren't they over there?

I think they're hiding.

Go over there, then.

You go first.

Come on, hurry.

What's wrong with you?

What?

Why have you turned up?

This is my hometown.

Can't I visit?

It's been five years.

Why are you here?

For the water festival.

Take your hat off.

But I like it.

Well, I don't.

Aren't you glad to see me?

I saw you on the news.

Tell the truth.

Why are you here?

I wanted to get some rest.

Are you sure that's a good idea?

Your rivals will be

training hard.

Doesn't matter.

They can't beat a freak like me.

What did you say?

Who else knows?

About you-know-what.

No one knows.

Except you.

When are you going back?

I don't know.

I might just stay here.

Really?

What about school?

We're on vacation.

What do you get up to

during vacation?

Just studying.

Do you have someplace to go?

You can come in.

Get in.

Hand me your bag.

You're going to stay here?

Don't lie to me.

Why are you here?

I'm not lying.

I'm really here to rest.

You'll go back after

you rest up, then?

Save my number and Mom's number

right after you get a new phone.

And...

Take this.

I don't need this.

You'll be late for the bus.

Go train hard.

Why did you...

Give up on becoming an athlete?

Being an athlete

isn't all that great.

Be honest.

In middle school,

I heard Kim Woo-joo's record.

I knew I could never beat it.

So, I decided to swim

just for fun.

But I heard that

he quit swimming.

What do you mean?

Don't you know his performance

has been poor lately?

He set the new record a while ago.

We haven't heard anything since.

My friend goes to

the same school as him.

He told me all about it.

(Yoo Seok-young)

Where are you?

Around.

Let's go see your ancestors.

Is this supposed to be fun?

Yeah, it is.

Don't they look unhappy?

My webbed feet are

getting thinner.

Is that possible?

I don't know.

They just are.

They don't look like

what you saw before.

It's nothing to boast

about anymore.

What's wrong?

What is it?

Are you here

just to tell me that?

I never forced you to swim.

You're the only one who knows.

You're the only one

I can confide in.

Is that so?

Is that why you're here?

Are you going to give up

being an athlete?

It's not like my life is

just swimming.

What else is there, then?

You're out of your cast.

I'm not here to take you back.

Then?

I have to get on the last bus,

so just listen.

Your coach said he'll pretend

nothing ever happened.

Stop being stupid.

You should get going.

Are you really going to do

this to your own coach?

Fine, I'll leave.

Take me to the terminal.

Oops, I dropped something.

Take it.

Isn't it yours?

It's yours.

You're so stubborn.

Are you going to use it or not?

It'd be a waste of money.

I'll give you the money.

No, it's fine.

Bye.

Where are you?

I'm on a bus.

- Are you going to come back?

- I'm sorry I didn't tell you.

Sorry, what?

Never mind.

Keep in touch.

Yeah, I will.

You don't have to,

if you're busy.

I won't be.

Come to Seoul sometime.

We'll see.

I need to study for

my college entrance exams.

I need to hang up.

Bye.

Hello?

Hello? Sis?

- Hey.

- What's up?

Nothing much.

Have you adjusted?

Yeah.

Did you get a new phone?

Yeah, he bought me

the latest model.

Who, Dad?

Yeah.

Why do you play the piano?

It wasn't because Mom forced me.

Can you become

the best in the world?

The best?

Who's your role model?

Do you even know any pianists?

Look at you talk.

I miss home.

I liked Grandma's place because

it's so big,

but you didn't like it.

This apartment is noisy,

and I feel constrained.

I ate a lot of good food,

thanks to the money you gave me.

Relax your arms, okay?

Next.

How are you already here?

I came as soon as you called.

I was already on my way here.

That was fast.

This vacation's too long,

so I decided to come.

Are you going to stay the night?

You told Dad, right?

Why would I stay the night?

I was just worried.

How are your lessons?

It's different from when you

practiced with Mom, right?

I like my professor...

But I'm not very good.

I can practice the piano

as much as I want, though.

I guess you're doing well.

I'm relieved.

(For swim club members only)

You're still good.

You're a natural born swimmer,

so of course you're good.

I'm not that good.

Yes, you are.

If I knew you were coming,

I would have met

you at the terminal.

It's fine.

I came to see my sister as well.

Kim Woo-joo!

I've heard of you.

She's the one who told you

to become a swimmer, right?

That's right.

Did I really?

When he talks about his childhood,

he talks about you.

Didn't you get out of

your cast too soon?

It's not that.

It might be no use.

I might have to quit.

I'm doomed, like you said.

I never said that.

A friend of mine...

He quit swimming because of you.

Me?

Why?

He was discouraged after he heard

your record in middle school.

If I quit swimming,

what would that make him?

That's why you need to do well.

If I'm bad at swimming...

Am I nothing?

Yoo Seok-young!

You met him, right?

Kim Woo-joo.

Yeah.

My guess was right.

He must be training hard

during vacation, right?

Yeah.

Then, why isn't

he setting new records?

The answer is simple.

He's busy dating.

You don't know what

you're talking about.

That's not why.

He has webbed feet.

Webbed feet?

Like a frog?

Yeah, like a frog.

His webbed feet became thin.

But he'll be all right.

He's a natural born swimmer.

Unlike us.

Kim Woo-joo.

Follow me.

Your deformed feet are

grounds for disqualification.

No one can find out.

Keep your head down.

The school will do

its best to keep it quiet.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to the 101st National

Sports Festival swim meet.

It's July 24th, 2014.

The preliminary

round will begin soon.

It will start at 9 o'clock.

The high school male

200 meters freestyle

preliminary round will begin soon.

Athletes, please get ready.

2nd group athletes,

please enter.

Lane 1, Shim Seung-ri

of Youngbuk.

Lane 2, Kwon Hee-jun

of Chungwon.

Lane 3, Woo Ji-hoon of Kyungin.

Lane 4, Kang Dong-woo

of Kwangnam.

Lane 5, Kim Young-min

of Youngbuk.

Lane 6, Kim Woo-joo of Youngsan.

Lane 7, Hyun Tae-woon

of Kwangnam.

Take your mark.

Onto the next news.

National team candidate

Kim Woo-joo

of Youngsan Physical High School

has been accused of cheating.

He had a deformity...

Once again, today's

event is over...

First place, Shim Seung-ri

of Yeongbuk Sports High, 3:50.21,

Second, Jeon Hee-jun

of Chungwon Sports High, 3:51.17,

Third, Kim Young-min

of Yeongbuk Sports High, 3:55.09.

Kim Woo-joo of

Youngsan Sports High

has been disqualified.

Please check the display

board for the results.

Thank you for attending the

101st National Sports Festival.

Please make sure you

have your belongings.

Once again, today's

event is over...

Kim Woo-joo of

Youngsan Sports High

has been disqualified.

(Several years later, autumn)

- Seok-young.

- Yes?

- It's your last day?

- It is.

What are you going to do now?

I don't know yet.

I might rest for a while.

Rest?

That sounds good.

I wish I could rest, too.

You have a bus to catch.

Hurry up.

Why are you so impatient?

My lesson will begin soon.

I'm almost there. Wait.

Sis, over here!

Sit further away.

It'll sound better.

Happy now?

I'll play a song

I practiced really hard.

I prepared this for

the Chopin Piano Competition.

I'll start.

Mom.

Mom.

- You're home?

- Yeah.

Ga-young wrote this piece.

She wants you to play it.

Hello.

Wow, you've grown so much!

You look the same,

but you're all grown up now.

You haven't aged at all.

- Really?

- Yeah.

- Hello.

- Hi.

What are we doing today?

Take a shower first.

Then, warm up.

Okay.

They're cute.

Are they your students?

Yeah. They're cute.

They're so cute.

You were cuter when

you were young.

- Me?

- You were tiny, but bold.

Hello.

Hi.

You're a good swimmer.

What's your name?

Choi Hae-bit-na.

Hae-bit-na?

What a pretty name.

Are you thinking of

becoming an athlete?

An athlete?

Yeah.

My mom said not everyone

can become an athlete.

You can always quit.

Quitting won't make you a loser.

- You know what?

- What?

I've been watching you.

You rotate your arms too much.

You should do this.

Use my joints?

Yeah, use your joints like this.

I've been watching you, too.

You don't stretch out

your arms all the way.

Okay...

You can't propel yourself

forward that way.

Watch.

Pull in your arm.

When your hand's next to your ear,

stretch out your arm.

Mom!

Yeah?

Are you seeing someone?

What are you talking about?

There are tickets here.

You can have them.

Can I really?

I told him I wasn't interested,

but he still left them there.

You should go out

with him, just once.

No thanks.

What does he do?

He's a piano tuner.

Play it, then.

How will you know if

it's good or not?