This is part 2 of our recap for the Kdrama Start Up!
Caution: Be wary of typos
How to Watch: Netflix
How we do this: This live recap will be in two parts and we segment each post around every 10 minutes. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the scene. There will be typos which we have fantasies of fixing once the episode finishes airing. Also, if there is a preview then we will try and translate it. Look for that at the bottom or on a separate post!
KOREAN DRAMA START UP RECAP EPISODE 10 – PART 2
——-dramamilk.com——-
/4/
SANDBOX CAFETERIA
The samsan guys and Saha eat int he cafeteria. But Dosan is not joining them. His excuse is that he does not have an appetite. The san guys wonder what Dosan did that is so bad. He did all the lies for CEO Seo. It was all for Dalmi. Why doesn’t anyone see Dosan’s heart. I would be mad if I was Dosan.
Saha holds her tongue but then tells them. Yeah, nothing is worse than not knowing the true heart. I experienced that so I know.
They are both shocked. Chulsan asks, what? You like someone?
SH – See, you still don’t know *pouts*
CS – What! me!?
YS – Chulsan???
SH – *nods bashfully*
CS – Is this a dream! Is this a dream! Sorry, I did not know, ah, goosebumps! So it is day one from today?
SH – No. *back to her normal self*
CS – Huh?
SH – I just lied.
YS – This is just making fun.
SH – What? I did it for you. You were happy. Dosan did exactly this.
Both – *look at each other*
YS – I get it now! Dosan is bad.
CS – *pouting* Yeah, now I understand everything.
YS – *claps* Daebak.
CS – Are you happy? Just eat! *hits Yong-san*
IN THE PARK
Halmoni catches Ah-hyun stealing her flyers off the signs and asks why she is doing this. Though she does not know it is her daughter-in-law until she flips her around to ask why she is doing this.
So Halmoni yells at her about it. Ah-hyun feels bad and basically tells her that she needs a part-time job, can she have one in her place? Halmoni can’t believe this. Wow. This woman.
But they talk about it at the tables next to Halmoni’s truck. Halmoni catches up, so you left home for a month and are living on he street? Ah-hyun ays it is not that, she left home but she is not sleeping on the street. I sleep in a PC bang or a jimjilbang.
She came here because halmoni needs help so we can help each other. It is my suggestion. Halmoni tells her that she does not want it. They are ex-inlaws. Ah-hyun tells her that they can go further and become employee and employer.
Halmoni tells her that she is not that good of a person to take her in. You remind me of my poor son. So lets live as strangers like we do now.
SAM SAN TECH OFFICES
Everyone starts to head out. Saha asks Dalmi if she isn’t going home? Dalmi tells them that they can go home, she needs to prepare for pitching day. Dosan says they can do it together. But she says no, you go first. I have an appointment with my friends.
Chulsan asks what friends? Dalmi tells them that she has friends. The san guys wonder if that friend is Team Leader Han? It shouldn’t be right? But then they see Ji-pyung walking up the hallway and think it is him. What should we do? The goalkeeper got a yellow card. The fullback should protect the goal.
So they tell Ji-pyung that their CEO is busy, if you need anything then tell us. Ji-pyung rolls his eyes and says he is not here for CEO Seo. I am here for Nam Dosan. Dosan had stepped into the hallway then and hears them.
So they go to a separate room to talk. Ji-pyung asks if they have any sales with NoonGil? Do you have any patterns. He keeps talking about business things. Dosan types all the questions on the computer. Ji-pyung asks if he wrote down everything? Dosan says yes. What is this?
JP – All the questions that CEO Seo will hear on demo day. The reality is harsher if someone asks if they have a competitor and she says no. Then that is an unnecessary business. Then they keep asking about the bar to get into the market and everything. Whatever answer she gives, she will get attacked. So prepare well so that she doesn’t get hurt.
DS – This is not the time to talk about these kinds of suggestions. *removes his computer*
JP – I did this good brother thing for the last time.
DS – The last time?
JP – I told Seo Dalmi that I like her so I can’t be a good hyung-nim anymore. I am not going to give you any suggestions or lend you anything. Car or clothes or watch.
DS – I don’t need any of that.
JP – And my past.
DS – I don’t need it also. *gets up to leave*
JP – I am not sure also.
Dosan leaves.
VO – I am also not sure. For you Seo Dalmi, Nam Dosan without the present or without the past, which one is more influential?
Dosan sees Dalmi sitting on the bus stop by herself. He is standing far enough away for her not to notice him. Ah, actually he is across the street so she could look up and see him at anytime.
She gets up and starts to walk up the street. He follows her.
She plays a toy game and tries to pick up a stuffed animal from a machine with the claw. Dosan watches. But he turns his back when she leaves so she doesn’t notice him.
She walks to a late night cafe and asks for soju and food. She is about to get drunk. Dosan is about to sit at the table with her, but a woman comes and sits next to her (Lee Bo-young’s cameo. She is a famous actress). Dalmi asks who she is. This woman says she thought she shouldn’t leave her alone here. She is alone also.
Dosan ends up sitting at the table behind Dosan.
So Dalmi tells this lady all her troubles as they drink. The lady thinks that is a huge problem. You thought they were one person but they are two people. Dalmi asks who the Dosan she loves is? The Dosan from 15 years ago or the Dosan now? I don’t know. I am bad right?
The woman says she is not bad, the people that lied to you are bad. It is okay. Of course it is confusing. The most difficult thing is that I can’t trust myself anymore. My job is to convince people to support our business. But I am not confident anymore.
The woman says she shouldn’t be, convincing starts with self assurance.
DM – Everyone says all lies so I feel fake also. The line I am walking on is unstable. I feel like I will fall. But what should I do, the CEO shouldn’t do this.
Woman – Are you CEO?
DM – No, it doesn’t matter, I don’t deserve it. I suspect everything.
Dosan is listening to all of this and sometimes we see them in the same screen together. He thinks back to telling his parents that she deserves to be CEO.
DM – i am not confident anymore.
W – The longer you wonder, the more self confidence you will lose. Even if it is difficult, you should decide now, then you will get over it. You can do it.
DM – How?
W – You should ask for help.
DM – From whom?
W – Your ancestors.
Dosan peeks around.
W – You should make a table and ask your ancestors to help you. Then your luck will come.
DS – How do you know that for sure? *he joins their table*
DM – What are you–
(Note: this is something that cult people do. They are famous for it in Korea. They randomly ask people about their life and say they look worried and listen to their story and then convince them to join their cult)
W – Is this your friend? He also needs his ancestors help. You should have a big ceremony.
DS – How do you know for sure?
W – From experience. I was a turtle neck just like you. I prayed to my ancestors with a big ceremony and look now. It is all normal now.
DS – It can be cured without an ancestor ceremony.
W – I am basing this on true data, okay? The ancestor ceremony is not superstition, it is science.
DS – Without controlling all the variables, that data does not mean anything. What is your comparison group and your experimental group?
W – *blank face*
DS – You don’t know? You didn’t compare? Then it is useless data. Did you compare with a randomized control test? You didn’t?
W – Who is he?
DM – *smiles* Nam Dosan. *passes out on his shoulder*
He is a bit shocked but tries to keep her head on his shoulder. Then we cut to him piggybacking her.
DS – You should have told me if you are having a hard time. Why are you suppressing it?
DM – *drunk* Am I having a hard time?
DS – You are drunk so you don’t remember, but you said that. Everything is fake and you are not confident.
DM – Really? I am a dead body without my confidence.
DS – Yep, you are a dead body. How can you be human again?
DM – Do you want me to tell you? Put me down.
He holds her up so she won’t trip and fall.
DM – Can’t you come like before?
DS – Huh?
DM – The networking party. You erased the most pitiful time in my life.
Flashback to that scene of Dosan walking to her at the party.
DM – Back then, you were my trophy, my pride, and my comfort and my wings and my dream. *leans back, he holds her* Come to me like that. Then I will get my confidence back and become human.
DS – You won’t remember this when you are sober.
DM – I am not drunk.
DS – *smiles* Okay.
He puts her on a swing and tells her to wait there, don’t go anywhere. I will be back. Then he runs off.
She waits on the swing. He runs across a bridge to do something. Is he really going to change into those clothes an then go back to her?
He knocks on Chul-san’s door to get his clothing (yep, he did that) and runs back to the playground. But he gets some whip cream on the jacket when he runs into someone. He apologizes and keeps running to the swing.
But she is not there. He looks at the empty swing for awhile then asks a man cleaning around if he saw a girl sitting there? The man says yes, she took a little nap and left.
His bag is still there all alone.
—————–
/5/
MORNING
The entire team looks at all the questions that they will be asked. They all think they are really hard. Do they want us to quit? Saha thinks that a lot of money is on the line so of course they will ask questions.
DS – When you pitch, we will all be in together. You can toss us the technical questions.
DM – Okay. *big sigh*
Later on, Chul-san asks Dongsan why he wanted to rent the clothes again? he tells them it was to show to CEO Seo but he was too late. He went back but she had left. They ask if she remembers anything? He says no, she doesn’t remember anything when she is sober. He wants to show her that at demo day.
DS – She said she has no confidence and she feels like she is on a tightrope so I want to do something for her but that is the only thing I can do for her. But those are someone else’s clothes as well.
Both – Ah, your story.
Then In-jae comes up and asks Dosan how his appa is. I worry about him. Dosan says he is okay. She mentions that she worries about him. The san guys ask why she is asking about his father.
She scoffs and says he was pretending. Yong-san tells her to tell them the details of what she is talking about. She says she wants to say the details from the beginning to the end, but when I think of your father I feel guilty. Maybe she is worried about blocking his sons future. So should I say it?
Dosan tells her that she started this to say it. So tell me.
Cut to the father exercising outside. But he has to hide when he sees his hubaes coming to give him some food. He has to call his wife to tell them that he is sick in bed and to leave. I can’t go to the protest anymore, what would I be to Dosan then?
Dosan shows up and asks what he would be.
Appa keeps on exercising outside. Dosan tells him to go and fight. You aren’t blocking my future. Dosan tells him that he is not his pride? Abogi asks if he is embarrassed of him. Dosan continues and says he does not want to be his pride also. It is a very difficult thing to live as someones pride. You have to hide because of disappointment and have to pretend like you are always okay. So you don’t have to be my pride. Let’s just be father and son.
MORNING
Ji-pyung sits in his office and tries to type a text to Dalmi. He asks how Demo Day preparation is going and then erases and asks if she needs any help and erases then asks if everything is okay and erases it. He sees his assistant changing his shirt to go to Demo Day and comes to talk to him.
DC – I need to run orientation for Demo Day.
JP – Oh, really? Take off that shirt.
DC – Why?
JP – Take it off.
Cut to Sandbox. Ji-pyung tells them that orientation was being run by Park but he is working outside so he is running it. He has to shoo Park away when he comes in his normal clothing.
Ji-pyung leads the teams around to tell them about Demo Day and to show them the stage and what Demo Day is and to open it to questions. A person asks where they broadcast? I see the cameras.
Ji-pyung tells them that this is broadcast to all the investors through the world. Dalmi asks what happens if they don’t get any investment? In-jae asks her why she is thinking of failure first? Are you not confident?
Then In-jae continues and says that she heard Tusto is looking for a global partner, is that true? JP says its true. Someone says Tusto is looking for AI and there are only two companies here that do AI.
Ji-pyung tells them that thinking like Tusto or investors is too much stress. Just look for an investor that fits your business model. Show how passionate and excited you are. Do not think about the investment. Don’t be timid.
They all say yes. But Dalmi looks like she is barely hanging in there.
—————–
/6/
HOME
Halmoni helps Dalmi sort all the clothing she has to find something good for Demo Day. Dalmi says that her pitch will decide the future of their team. But nothing she has gives her confidence.
Dosan thinks about wearing Chul-san’s suit to Demo Day.
Injae walks into Sandbox and looks at the girl swinging symbol. She thinks about what Yoon said about the girl in the symbol that she thinks is In-jae. She thought this girl would look for another reason besides money. In-jae touches the sign and then turns to walk away. But her eyes lock with Dalmi who is on the second floor bridge.
It is one hour and thirty minutes before the Demo Day presentations.
PARK
Meanwhile, Ah-hyun sits on her luggage at the park. Her husband drives up and asks why she is here? His son is with him. They basically says she looks bad and should come back. She tells the son that he is the same. You were Injae’s assistant and now you are your fathers assistant. is that a promotion.
The husband tells her that she followed money her entire life so why are you talking about integrity now? Just follow one way, if you change your path then you will starve to death.
She thinks about her ex-husband telling her that he worked in someone else’s company for 20 years like a dog. Just let me do the work that I want. She threw his paper at him and says a dog that cuts their chain and leaves just becomes a street dog. When you become a street dog then you freeze or starve to death.
In the present she says, I am sorry honey, now I understand you. Won thinks she is talking about him. He says that if she understands then you should come when I say. He starts to pull her away but she doesn’t move.
Then Halmoni comes and breaks up this with her umbrella. She asks if he is going to hit her if she doesn’t come. Huh!
The son asks who this halmoni is. Halmoni tells him that she is the ex-mother-in-law. So just leave. Both of you leave. Go.
SANDBOX
In the waiting area, a woman takes some traditional medicine to relieve stress. Dalmi asks her if that really works? The woman doesn’t know, it is her first time taking in. In-jae sees this but doesn’t say anything.
Another person comes up to In-jae and asks if the rumors are true? Are you the kid in the symbol? She says yes, though it is hesitant. The guy next to her says that is daebak. So you are the girl that asked for the sand for the swing?
Dalmi turns around and looks at her. In-jae says yes and leaves. They all mutter that Won is the beginning of Sandbox. Dalmi runs after her. Ji-pyung sees and starts to follow. But the three Samsan Tech employees stop him and days that they can tell her anything he needs to say.
he nods and asks how she feels. They tell her it is demo day so of course she is nervous. She feels like hse is on a tight rope. Ji-pyung tells them to tell her that he can be an alternative answer so don’t be too nervous.
They ask, alternative answer? Then we see a flashback to Ji-pyung saying he will invest if it doesn’t work out. So int he present, the guys think that is the alternative. Ji-pyung sys to just tell her, aigo. He turns and leaves.
Elsewhere, Dalmi catches up with Injae and asks her what that story is about? Injae says that to get into Sandbox she used Dalmi’s story. I wrote it without thinking much, I did not know that Yoonwould remember our appa.
DM – Our appa? You say that so easily but you even abandoned your first name. How can you be so confident stealing someone else’s memory?
IJ – I am sorry, but when I see you I do not think I stole it at all.
DM – What about me?
IJ – Who is the one complaining being on the swing because she is scared? Who is the one scared of failing? Do you really think I have to apologize to you?
Dalmi is about to fall back. Dosan holds her and tells In-jae to apologize to her. You are the one that stole. You are nothing. You even have to steal someone else’s memory. You are not confident. To not get caught you hide and lie. Isn’t that difficult for you? It should be difficult for you.
IJ – You don’t know anything.
DS – I know it well. I did a similar thing. *he looks at Dalmi*
They walk back to their team. The team is worried because it is almost start time. Also, Dosan isn’t wearing the suit he was supposed to wear to support Dalmi.
DM – Suit? Support? What does that mean?
DS – Um, well…
SH – Chulsan, lets talk privately.
CS – *smiles* Why?
SH – Just follow me. *Pulls him away by the hand*
She tells him that he is not reading things well. Don’t you know that is the time for the two of them to be alone together. And look at your face. Is this because I held your hand? You are such an easy man. She touches his face.
He holds her hand.
CS – Saha, when you lied momentarily, actually I felt like I went all the way to the top floor and then fell. You did it without thinking much. But I am a country boy so these little things put me in Heaven and Hell. *puts her hand back to her side* So stop giving me any chance. Please.
SH – Okay.…I will….
CS – Lets go in.
SH – ….okay….
She holds her hand and looks a bit confused. Perhaps she liked holding his hand?
—————–
/7/
Back with Dalmi and Dosan. They are still awkward. He tells her that he was going to wear the suit for her like he did at the networking party. She tells him that he was cool then, so why didn’t you wear it?
DS – Well, back then it wasn’t me. Dalmi, I don’t want to confuse you anymore. Erase everything about me.
DM – Erase? What are you talking about?
DS – I never wrote you letters. I only knew you for a few months. I dress like this and playing Go-stop was never my wish and May 7th is not my birthday. If you are confused with your feelings towards me, just forget about it, remove it. I hope you don’t suffer because of that. But one thing. The reason Samsan Tech came all the way here is because you made it happen. That is not fake. You really made it happen. I guarantee you that. So don’t suspect that.
She kind of nods, though it is shallow. DC yells for CEO Seo to come since she is going on stage soon. Dosan tells her fighting. She nods and tells him fighting as well. Then she runs inside.
INSIDE
Ji-pyung gets on the elevator and Yong-sil gets on it as well. Ji-pyung grumbles and tells him that he is not going to find Dalmi, so stop following me around. Yong-san tells him that he is not following him, he is going up as well.
YS – It is cool that you talked about our team leader. You will be the alternative.
JP – I did not say that for you to recognize it.
YS – This cool and reliable person, why were you so harsh to my brother?
JP – Huh?
YS – *looks at him* Tell me, my hyung why did you kill him?
Oh snap, he is the revenge guy!
JP – *Looks at him a moment* Are you telling me that I killed your brother? *chuckles* Maybe you are confused with someone else. If I killed your brother then I should be in jail, not here. Cham.
But Yong-san is not playing around.
JP – Hey, I do not know your brother. I did not even know that you had a brother.
Yong-san forcefully pushes Ji-pyung against the wall. Tears are in his eyes.
YS – I did not expect that you would not even remember him.
It is intense as he stares into Ji-pyung’s eyes and Ji-pyung stares back.
OUTSIDE
Dosan sits and thinks about Ji-pyung saying he will be the alternative. He is on the bleachers. But he gets up and takes off running to Alex. He finds him in a hallway and tells him that he has a questions. Your deal that I can give my company wings. Is that still valid.
Alex – Yes, of course. Why did you change your heart all of a sudden?
DS – i do not want to have an alternative.
Alex – Alternative? What alternative?
DS – An alternative for failure.
EPILOGUE
Ji-pyung is drinking at a cafe.
JP – I never thought I would confess over noodles. Ii tried to be cool, but I was so nervous.
he might be talking to this cult lady, lol.
JP – I want her honest answer but I am afraid *drinks and eats* You know, if she says no then it is forever over. I am afraid *wakes up from table* I am regretting that I shouldn’t have confessed. I should have hid until the end.
He holds out his cup for more alcohol. The Woman from earlier tells him that he should not hide things, then he will regret it. There are no words like just, all choices have reasons. So trust your choice. If you have doubt then borrow someone else’s power.
JP – Who?
W – You ancestors.
JP – Ancestors?
He stares at her dumbfounded.
Fade Out
COMMENTS
Wow, that was so surprising for Yong-san to be the revenge guy! I did not think it would be anyone from the Samsan Tech guys so color me super duper surprised to see that. I really loved that reveal in the elevator when we think he is protecting Dalmi from Ji-pyung but no, he has his own motives, player.
Alright, eve though I loved that reveal, what happens now? Is this going to change into a different kind of show? Because I love our carefree Samsan Tech sidekick duo the way they are. I don’t want any sadness thrown in the mix to interfere with that.
So my biggest questions are, will this be a huge side plot moving forward, or will this just be something that makes Ji-pyung change the way he acts towards start-ups and the people who run them? Hopefully it is more along the lines of a come to Jesus moment for Ji-pyung and that is it.
As far as wrapping up the angst, I feel like it will be fully wrapped up in the next episode. The preview makes it seem like Do-san and Dalmi are starting over from the beginning. He is telling her all about himself and the true origin story for Samsan Tech. Me feels an adorable episode coming up next week y’all. Here’s hoping.
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