Everyone overlooks the sweet guy with cerebral palsy—until ONE LOVELY girl STANDS by his side
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00The story begins by introducing Liu Chun-hae, a young man born with cerebral palsy.
00:09Despite this setback, Chun-hae has never let his condition define him.
00:12While his body often spasms and his face carry a slight asymmetry,
00:17his mind is sharp and his intelligence unmatched.
00:20Despite the daily challenges, Chun-hae excels academically,
00:24scoring far beyond the passing grade of the university entrance exam.
00:28His grandmother, thrilled by the news,
00:31decides to celebrate by hosting a dinner with her friends from the choir.
00:34When the elderly guests hear about Chun-hae's achievement, they're taken aback.
00:38They've always linked cerebral palsy with intellectual disability,
00:42and their surprise is palpable.
00:44Chun-hae, used to these kinds of misconceptions, brushes it off with a quiet smile.
00:49As the evening progresses, Chun-hae faces another challenge.
00:53Blowing out the candles on his cake.
00:55What should be a simple task becomes a struggle.
00:58His condition making the action harder than expected.
01:01The crowd watches, unsure how to react.
01:05Even drinking beer proves difficult.
01:07He has to use a straw, and still, he struggles to sip.
01:11The stares feel heavier now.
01:12But then, as he chokes slightly on his drink,
01:15his grandmother is quick to intervene.
01:18A gentle pat on his back, and she makes sure he's okay.
01:21This is Chun-hae's first time drinking,
01:23and it doesn't take long before he's tipsy.
01:25His grandmother, ever so patient, along with her friends, helps him home.
01:30The celebration is over, but the weight of the awkwardness lingers.
01:35When they arrive home, Chun-hae's grandmother is hit with a new problem.
01:38If Chun-hae's mother finds out he had alcohol, the situation will surely explode.
01:43And as expected, his mother is furious.
01:46The grandmother, who has raised Chun-hae since childhood, feels a wave of frustration.
01:50All these years of care and love, and yet, she's met with nothing but anger.
01:55The argument between the two women intensifies.
01:59Old wounds reopening, revealing long-buried resentments.
02:03The past, filled with painful memories, threatens to tear them apart.
02:07But for Chun-hae's sake, they struggle to keep it together.
02:11The next morning, before leaving for work,
02:13Chun-hae's mother lays down a strict plan for the day.
02:17Exercise routines, books to read, all meticulously organized.
02:21She even hands the grandmother a detailed list of instructions
02:25on how to manage Chun-hae's time.
02:28The grandmother agrees with a smile, nodding dutifully.
02:31But once the door shuts behind his mother,
02:33the grandmother's stern face melts away.
02:36She gives Chun-hae the freedom to do whatever he pleases,
02:39letting him slip away from the rigid schedule.
02:42Determined to follow his dream,
02:44Chun-hae decides to leave the house
02:46and apply for a teaching job at a local training center.
02:49Teaching has always been his passion.
02:52Even when he took the university entrance exam,
02:55he chose an education major, much to his mother's disapproval.
02:59She insisted he retake the exam and pick something more practical.
03:03Not wanting to openly defy her,
03:05Chun-hae sneaks off to teach his first trial class.
03:07But things quickly take a turn.
03:10The children, with their innocent curiosity,
03:12stare at him awkwardly,
03:14some whispering and making hurtful remarks.
03:16After the class, the head of the institution offers some praise for his teaching skills.
03:21But then, with a gentle smile, declines his application.
03:26Concerns over the children's mental well-being as the main reason.
03:29It's a rejection, masked in politeness, but it stings nonetheless.
03:34Chun-hae's grandmother, trying to lift his spirits,
03:37assures him that his teaching was flawless
03:39and that the institution simply failed to see his talent.
03:42But before she can say more, an old friend calls out to her,
03:46pulling her attention away.
03:48Chun-hae's grandmother wasn't just focused on caring for him,
03:51she had her own life too.
03:53One of her passions was being part of a senior choir.
03:56However, with their limited abilities,
03:58their performances rarely attracted an audience.
04:01One day, Lao Diao, a member of the choir,
04:03proposed offering rice, flour, and oil
04:05as incentives to draw in more people.
04:07But the rest of the group quickly shut down the idea.
04:11Frustrated by the rejection,
04:12Lao Diao threatened to leave the choir.
04:15At first, Chun-hae's grandmother didn't take it seriously,
04:18but then something unexpected happened.
04:20She received a private message from a management agency
04:23that had seen one of their performance videos.
04:26They wanted to offer the choir a tour,
04:28but there was a catch, they needed a drummer.
04:31Desperate, the choir members tried to convince Lao Diao
04:34to return or find a replacement.
04:36That's when Chun-hae's grandmother had an idea,
04:39asking her grandson for help.
04:41But Chun-hae was quick to refuse.
04:43He had never played the drums before.
04:45However, Chun-hae's grandmother wasn't giving up.
04:48With a sly smile, she reminded him
04:50that he had played the drums in kindergarten.
04:53As Chun-hae and his grandmother were talking,
04:55a woman with a small child boarded the bus.
04:58In a moment of kindness,
05:00Chun-hae attempted to offer his seat,
05:02but lost his balance and fell to the floor.
05:03The bus driver, startled by the fall,
05:06helped him up,
05:07but remarked that someone with Chun-hae's condition
05:09shouldn't be using public transport.
05:11The comments stung deeply,
05:13and Chun-hae's grandmother, furious,
05:16immediately confronted the driver.
05:18However, the other passengers seemed more annoyed
05:20by the delay than concerned with the situation.
05:23When they finally made it home,
05:25Chun-hae was determined to write a complaint letter
05:27to the bus company,
05:29his frustration driving him to take action.
05:31His grandmother, dismissing it as a waste of time,
05:35tried to talk him out of it,
05:37but Chun-hae, resolute in his decision,
05:40insisted on following through.
05:41Eventually, his grandmother relented,
05:43but her attention quickly shifted back to her own plan,
05:47getting Chun-hae to play the drums in the choir,
05:49even though it meant disrupting
05:50the carefully crafted schedule
05:52his mother had planned for his studies.
05:54As she focused on her goal,
05:56she imparted a lesson to Chun-hae.
05:58Sometimes a man, especially an adult,
06:01must lie to get what he wants.
06:03Chun-hae understood,
06:04and despite his physical struggles,
06:06he joined the choir.
06:08But even that presented its own challenges.
06:11Chun-hae's condition made it difficult
06:12to even hold the drumsticks,
06:14and during one practice,
06:16an elderly woman mocked him,
06:18dismissing the idea of using someone with a disability
06:21to play the drums as a waste of time.
06:24As the woman's harsh words hung in the air,
06:27Chun-hae's grandmother immediately leaped to his defense,
06:30arguing with the stranger.
06:31Chun-hae, however, sat there,
06:33confused and unsure of how to respond.
06:35Just as the tension seemed to settle,
06:37a frisbee landed at his feet.
06:39He looked up to find a beautiful girl
06:41standing a few feet away,
06:43waving her hand,
06:44asking for the frisbee back.
06:46For most, it would have been a simple gesture,
06:49but for Chun-hae, it was nearly impossible.
06:51He didn't move at first, unsure of how to react.
06:55The girl, seeing his hesitation,
06:56jogged over to retrieve the frisbee herself.
06:59As she got closer, her gaze fell on Chun-hae,
07:02noticing the difference in him.
07:04But instead of surprise or disgust,
07:07she smiled gently,
07:08a warm and understanding expression
07:10that cut straight to his heart.
07:12That smile lingered with him long after she had gone.
07:16A few days later,
07:17Lao Diao, the former drummer, returned,
07:19restless and ready to mock Chun-hae again.
07:22But this time,
07:23the elderly woman who had once ridiculed him
07:25now stood in his defense.
07:28Despite her support,
07:29Lao Diao continued his taunts,
07:31relentlessly belittling Chun-hae.
07:33But for some reason,
07:34it didn't hurt as much this time.
07:36Chun-hae was no stranger to being looked down upon,
07:39so at first he remained silent,
07:41letting the insults roll off his back.
07:43But the beautiful girl who had smiled at him
07:45kept coming around.
07:46Each time she saw him being ridiculed,
07:49her face would show clear anger,
07:51a silent but powerful support.
07:54Encouraged by her unwavering presence,
07:57Chun-hae found the strength to fight back.
07:59With all his energy,
08:00he picked up the drumsticks
08:02and challenged Lao Diao.
08:03The competition was intense,
08:05but in the end,
08:06it ended in a draw.
08:08The crowd's perception of Chun-hae began to shift.
08:11For the first time,
08:12they saw him differently.
08:14Finally,
08:15the group decided to give the drummer
08:16another chance to practice with the band,
08:18and they would vote on who would perform.
08:21But for Chun-hae,
08:23the real victory came when he saw Yaya,
08:25the girl jumping with joy,
08:27her pride in him clear for everyone to see.
08:30A few days later,
08:31Chun-hae found himself standing by the sink
08:33along with Yaya.
08:34It was the perfect moment.
08:36She smiled and introduced herself,
08:38telling him how much she enjoyed
08:39watching him play the drums.
08:41Then she asked for his phone number.
08:42But Chun-hae felt a pang of awkwardness.
08:45He didn't have a phone.
08:47The moment passed,
08:48and with it,
08:48a quiet regret lingered.
08:50Back home,
08:51Chun-hae couldn't shake the thought of Yaya.
08:53She lingered in his mind,
08:54even invading his dreams.
08:56In the dream,
08:57he was healthy,
08:58able to run freely,
09:00chasing after her.
09:01She smiled,
09:02holding a torch
09:03that suddenly turned into fireworks,
09:05bursting in the night sky.
09:07Yaya laughed,
09:08praising him for his running skills.
09:10Feeling bold,
09:11Chun-hae boasted
09:12that he could do a somersault.
09:14He flipped,
09:14landing perfectly,
09:16and to his surprise,
09:17Yaya seemed genuinely amazed.
09:19She lunged at him playfully,
09:21pulling him onto the grass.
09:23Just as the moment seemed to shift,
09:25Chun-hae snapped awake,
09:27his heart racing.
09:28The reality hit hard.
09:29He'd had a wet dream.
09:31Panic surged through him.
09:33With his grandmother in the next room,
09:35Chun-hae quickly shoved the sheets
09:36into the laundry,
09:38trying to hide his embarrassment.
09:39As the machine word,
09:41an idea began to take shape.
09:43He wasn't going to sit idle.
09:44He would find a part-time job,
09:46anything.
09:47Even if it meant waiting tables,
09:49he would work to earn money,
09:50not for fun,
09:52but to keep his dream
09:53of continuing his education alive.
09:55To support Chun-hae's dream,
09:57his grandmother gave him an old phone
09:59so he could connect
10:00with the outside world.
10:02With renewed determination,
10:03Chun-hae went for an interview
10:05at a local restaurant
10:06for a waiter position.
10:07But the manager, sizing him up,
10:09looked at him with doubt.
10:11Given Chun-hae's condition,
10:12the manager needed to be sure
10:14he could handle the job.
10:15Undeterred, Chun-hae steeled himself
10:17and walked unsteadily across the room,
10:20listing the menu items
10:21as best as he could.
10:23His awkwardness only made
10:24the customers chuckle,
10:26and from outside,
10:27his grandmother watched
10:28through the window,
10:29her heart sinking.
10:30A single tear slipped down her cheek.
10:33Despite his best effort,
10:34the manager told him
10:36that he only hired regular people.
10:38But Chun-hae wasn't about to back down.
10:40He firmly replied
10:41that he is just as ordinary
10:43as anyone else,
10:44with an extraordinary memory.
10:46As Chun-hae left the cafe,
10:48his grandmother rushed to comfort him.
10:50But this time,
10:51he didn't need it.
10:52He had made his mark.
10:54He had gotten the job.
10:55His grandmother,
10:56overwhelmed with God,
10:57hugged him tightly.
10:58For Chun-hae,
10:59it wasn't about the money.
11:01It was about proving to himself
11:02that he had value.
11:04From that day on,
11:05Chun-hae worked part-time
11:06at the cafe.
11:07His days split
11:08between serving customers
11:09and practicing the drums.
11:12With his first paycheck
11:13of just over a thousand yuan,
11:15he felt a sense of pride.
11:16He was finally useful.
11:18His skills with making coffee
11:20improved steadily,
11:21and in between drum sessions,
11:23he'd help customers
11:24who struggled with their phones.
11:27Little by little,
11:27his life was starting
11:29to find its rhythm.
11:30Then came the day
11:31he invited Yaya over
11:32to his house.
11:33Nervous but excited,
11:34he recited a poem
11:35he'd written just for her.
11:37You are the morning star
11:38rising high in the sky
11:39while I am the odd one
11:41navigating the lonely river.
11:43But Yaya didn't seem
11:44moved by the words.
11:45Instead,
11:45she casually asked
11:46if Chun-hae could get
11:48an erection.
11:49Chun-hae froze,
11:51heat rushing to his face.
11:53Silence fell between them,
11:54and Yaya's laughter
11:55only deepened the awkwardness.
11:57Unsure how to break the tension,
11:59Chun-hae reached out
12:00to touch her face.
12:01To his surprise,
12:02she didn't pull away.
12:03In fact,
12:04she gently guided his hand,
12:05leading it to her chest.
12:07In that moment,
12:08Chun-hae proved something
12:09to himself.
12:10He was just like
12:11any other 20-year-old man,
12:13capable of experiencing
12:14what others did.
12:16Yaya caught off guard,
12:17tried to leave,
12:18but Chun-hae stopped her.
12:19He thanked her,
12:20his voice soft but genuine.
12:22At least she saw him
12:23as a person,
12:24not defined by his disability.
12:26Before the tension could settle,
12:28the door slammed open.
12:30Chun-hae's mother walked in,
12:31her eyes narrowing
12:31as she took in the scene.
12:33She immediately demanded
12:34to know what they were doing.
12:35Her anger flared,
12:37and she raged against
12:38Chun-hae's decision
12:38to work part-time.
12:40She couldn't accept the fact
12:41that he still wanted
12:42to pursue his education
12:43at teacher's college.
12:45Even worse,
12:46she added that
12:46it's hard enough
12:47for normal people
12:48to get accepted.
12:50So,
12:50why anyone accepts
12:51someone like Chun-hae?
12:53At that moment,
12:54Chun-hae paused.
12:55The weight of her words
12:56sinking in.
12:58After a long silence,
12:59he finally spoke,
13:00his voice steady
13:01but filled with a quiet fury.
13:03I didn't ask
13:04to be born like this.
13:06The room went cold.
13:07His words hung in the air,
13:08sharp and cutting,
13:10leaving no room
13:10for argument.
13:12Overcome with emotion,
13:13Chun-hae stormed up
13:14to the roof,
13:15seeking solace
13:16in the cool night air.
13:17Alone,
13:18he wanted to call
13:18the university
13:19to hear if there was
13:21any chance of him
13:22being accepted.
13:23But it was too late.
13:24The staff had gone home.
13:26His mother left soon after
13:28and the house fell
13:29into an eerie silence.
13:31Chun-hae,
13:31lost in his thoughts,
13:32was left with only loneliness
13:34and confusion
13:35swirling in his mind.
13:37Chun-hae sat in silence,
13:38absorbed in his thoughts,
13:40as his grandmother
13:41came to sit beside him.
13:43He didn't blame his mother.
13:44There were no words
13:45of anger or regret.
13:47Instead,
13:47he quietly shared
13:48his desire
13:49to get a driver's license.
13:51His grandmother
13:51understood immediately.
13:53It wasn't just about driving.
13:55It was about leaving.
13:56He wanted to get
13:57as far away
13:58from this place
13:59as he could.
14:00Without protest,
14:01she agreed to take him
14:02for the driving test,
14:04accepting his wish
14:05with the quiet understanding
14:06of someone
14:06who had seen
14:07the weight of his dreams.
14:09A few days later,
14:10on the day of the vote
14:11for the drummer,
14:12Chun-hae's life
14:13shifted again.
14:14Lao-diao suddenly fell ill
14:15and had to be rushed
14:16to the hospital.
14:17As the situation unfolded,
14:19Chun-hae's grandmother
14:20received a phone call
14:21from Lao-diao's child,
14:23followed by another
14:23from her own daughter,
14:25who had just given birth.
14:26After keeping the secret
14:27for so long,
14:28Chun-hae's grandmother
14:29finally decided
14:30to share the truth.
14:31She told him
14:32that he would soon
14:33be an older brother.
14:34Chun-hae's face
14:35betrayed the weight
14:36of the moment.
14:37A subtle expression
14:37of disappointment
14:38and sadness
14:39crossed his features
14:40as he lowered his head.
14:42He had suspected this
14:43for a while,
14:43especially after his mother's
14:44return home
14:45with a noticeably
14:46rounded belly.
14:48Though he wasn't foolish,
14:49he hadn't wanted
14:50to believe it.
14:51His grandmother,
14:52sensing the quiet pain
14:53in him,
14:54gently offered
14:54to take him
14:55to the hospital
14:55to see his mother.
14:57He didn't respond,
14:58but simply stood up
14:59and followed her,
15:00the silence between them,
15:02heavy with unspoken words
15:03and unprocessed emotions.
15:06At the hospital,
15:07Chun-hae saw his mother,
15:08pale and weary
15:09from giving birth prematurely.
15:11The family crowded
15:12around her,
15:13helping her with
15:13even the smallest tasks,
15:15like getting to the bathroom.
15:17Chun-hae's gaze
15:18drifted to the crib,
15:20where his newborn sister lay,
15:21perfect and healthy,
15:23free from any defects.
15:25As he approached,
15:26eager to play with the baby,
15:27his mother's reaction
15:28was swift and sharp.
15:30She pushed him away,
15:31clutching the baby
15:32tightly in her arms.
15:34The hurt in Chun-hae's chest
15:35was immediate and deep,
15:37a quiet sting
15:38that lingered long after.
15:39On the way home,
15:41Chun-hae's mind
15:41raced with questions.
15:43He turned to his grandmother,
15:44unable to keep them inside.
15:46He wanted to know
15:47why no one had told him
15:48about his mother's pregnancy.
15:50His grandmother explained
15:51that his mother
15:51had gestational diabetes
15:53and was at risk of miscarriage,
15:55which is why
15:56she had been hospitalized.
15:57The pregnancy
15:58had been uncertain,
15:59and they had chosen
16:00not to tell Chun-hae
16:01because of the fear
16:03that the baby
16:03might not survive.
16:05But Chun-hae could feel
16:06the weight of something unspoken.
16:08He knew the explanation
16:09was only part of the truth.
16:11There was something deeper
16:12his grandmother
16:13wasn't revealing.
16:14He realized
16:15with a growing sense
16:16of clarity
16:17that his mother's decision
16:19to have another child
16:20wasn't about wanting
16:20a second baby.
16:22It was about him.
16:23His mother had chosen
16:24to risk her life
16:25for a second child
16:26because she saw him,
16:28her firstborn,
16:30as imperfect,
16:31as a disabled child
16:32who couldn't live up
16:33to her expectations.
16:35Chun-hae couldn't shake
16:36the memory
16:36of his mother's harsh words.
16:38At the time,
16:39he hadn't known
16:40she was pregnant,
16:40but the umphamad
16:42resentful expression
16:43on her face
16:44had stuck with him,
16:45haunting him ever since.
16:47He wondered
16:48if their argument
16:48had somehow triggered
16:50her premature labor.
16:51But the thought
16:52only tangled his mind further,
16:54adding to the growing confusion
16:55and chaos in his family.
16:57At work,
16:58things were going smoothly,
16:59but Chun-hae couldn't shake
17:00at the feeling
17:01that he was being used.
17:02The cafe where he worked
17:04recorded him
17:04for a charity ad,
17:06showcasing him
17:06as part of their
17:07diverse staff.
17:09At one moment,
17:09his co-workers whispered
17:11behind his back,
17:12making cruel comments
17:13that he had only been hired
17:14for the tax discounts
17:15the cafe received
17:16by employing someone
17:18with a disability.
17:19As the days went on,
17:21Chun-hae finally understood
17:22the truth behind his hiring.
17:23The realization
17:24weighed heavily on him,
17:26sinking him
17:27into a deep despair.
17:28In search of comfort,
17:30he reached out to Yaya,
17:31hoping for a moment
17:32of connection.
17:33She agreed to meet,
17:35but when he tried
17:35to take her hand,
17:36she pulled away,
17:38saying she needed
17:38to use the restroom.
17:39As she turned to leave,
17:41she waved him off,
17:43and in that simple gesture,
17:45Chun-hae knew
17:45they wouldn't meet again.
17:47Later,
17:48Chun-hae went
17:48to the museum alone,
17:50a quiet escape
17:51where he finally
17:51finished the poem
17:52he'd been working on
17:54for weeks.
17:55The words had flowed
17:56out of him
17:56as he wandered
17:57through the exhibits,
17:58but by the time
17:59he left,
18:00the weight of everything
18:00still pressed down
18:02on him.
18:03On his way home,
18:04he stopped to make
18:04a small gesture,
18:06offering some candy
18:07he had made himself
18:08to his grandmother,
18:09asking her to pass it
18:10on to his mother,
18:11but his grandmother
18:12refused,
18:13explaining that his
18:13mother's blood sugar
18:14was still unstable.
18:16That small act of rejection
18:17was all it took
18:18to break him.
18:20The day's sadness,
18:21everything that had built up,
18:23crashed down on Chun-hae.
18:24As his grandmother
18:25went to the kitchen
18:26to cook,
18:27Chun-hae,
18:28in a haze of despair,
18:30began shoving the candy
18:31into his mouth,
18:32one piece after another,
18:33mindlessly.
18:35He choked,
18:36but didn't stop,
18:37stuffing more and more
18:38into his mouth,
18:39as if he could
18:40eat away the pain.
18:41In the blur
18:42of his fading consciousness,
18:44Chun-hae saw
18:44the little cat
18:45he had cared for
18:46all these years.
18:47He remembered
18:48the quiet companionship,
18:50the moments of comfort
18:51it had given him.
18:52But the cat was gone now,
18:54its presence slipping away,
18:56just like everything else
18:57in his life.
18:59He thought back
18:59to his childhood,
19:01the times when he
19:02and the cat
19:02would play and hide
19:03inside an old suitcase.
19:05When his parents
19:05couldn't find him,
19:06they would sit,
19:07uncertain and silent,
19:09wondering if their lives
19:10would have been better
19:11if they hadn't had Chun-hae.
19:13When Chun-hae
19:14finally regained consciousness,
19:16he found himself
19:16in a sterile hospital room.
19:18His mother sat beside his bed,
19:20tears streaming down her face.
19:22She was apologizing,
19:24her voice thick with regret,
19:25as she revealed something
19:27she had kept buried
19:27for all these years.
19:29She told him
19:30that when she gave birth to him,
19:31she had tried her best,
19:32but the doctors
19:33had accused her
19:34of not knowing how to push.
19:36From that moment on,
19:37a deep sense of guilt
19:38had consumed her,
19:39as she believed
19:40that his condition
19:41was somehow her fault.
19:43This guilt weighed
19:44so heavily on her
19:45that she never once
19:46celebrated his birthday.
19:47She continued,
19:48explaining that
19:49when she had pushed him
19:50away earlier,
19:51it wasn't out of hatred,
19:52but out of fear.
19:54Fear that she might fail again.
19:56It was, she said,
19:57her last chance
19:58to be a mother.
19:59Chun-hae,
19:59hearing this confession,
20:01felt a rush of confusion.
20:03He couldn't blame her.
20:04She had given him life,
20:05only wanting a healthy,
20:06normal child.
20:07The fault, it seemed,
20:09wasn't with his mother.
20:10It was with him,
20:11the child who had been
20:12seen as a mistake.
20:14After receiving treatment,
20:15Chun-hae recovered
20:16and was discharged
20:17from the hospital.
20:18His grandmother,
20:19ever supportive,
20:21took him to the
20:21Guangong temple,
20:23her words echoing
20:24in his mind,
20:24every obstacle in life
20:26can be overcome.
20:28That night,
20:29Chun-hae dreamt of Yaya.
20:30In the dream,
20:31he saw himself
20:32as a cricket,
20:33enduring pain
20:34and shedding his old skin
20:35to be reborn.
20:37Yaya was there,
20:38gently helping him
20:39peel away the layers,
20:40and together they embraced,
20:42as two souls united
20:43in a moment of renewal.
20:45When Chun-hae woke,
20:46the dream lingered,
20:47heavy with meaning.
20:48As he spoke to his grandmother,
20:50something on her neck
20:50caught his eye,
20:52a scar.
20:53Curious,
20:53he asked about it.
20:54For the first time,
20:56his grandmother opened up,
20:57sharing a story
20:58she had kept hidden
20:59for years.
21:00She told him of a time
21:01when she had opened
21:02a restaurant in Tibet.
21:03One day,
21:04while counting money,
21:05she was held at knife point.
21:06But she didn't back down.
21:08She fought for her life,
21:09not for herself,
21:10but for the money
21:11she needed
21:12to buy baby formula
21:13for her daughter,
21:14Chun-hae's mother.
21:15In the struggle,
21:16his grandmother was wounded,
21:18but she survived.
21:19Yet she never shared
21:20the full truth
21:21with Chun-hae's mother.
21:22His mother had always
21:23believed her grandmother
21:24had abandoned her,
21:26but the reality
21:26was far more painful.
21:28His grandmother
21:28had endured silently,
21:30never speaking of the deep
21:31sacrifices she made.
21:32At just 21,
21:33his grandmother
21:34had given birth
21:35to her daughter,
21:36but shortly after,
21:37her husband disappeared.
21:39Alone,
21:39she worked far from home,
21:41providing for them both
21:42while missing out
21:43on raising her child.
21:44The distance between them grew,
21:46but the sacrifices
21:47were never spoken of.
21:48With quiet sincerity,
21:49his grandmother turned
21:50to Chun-hae,
21:51her eyes filled with regret.
21:54She asked him not
21:55to blame his mother,
21:56to understand that
21:57in many ways
21:57she herself had failed.
21:59She hadn't known
22:00how to teach her daughter
22:00to love like a mother,
22:02and in turn,
22:03his mother struggled
22:03to learn how to be
22:04a good mother herself.
22:06The cycle of pain
22:07and silence
22:08had trapped them all.
22:09Chun-hae,
22:09now with a deeper understanding
22:11of his family's struggles,
22:12looked at his grandmother
22:13and quietly acknowledged
22:15her goodness.
22:16Yet,
22:16a lingering question
22:17remained in his mind.
22:18Would his little sister
22:19want a brother like him?
22:21His grandmother
22:22didn't offer an answer.
22:23Both of them knew the truth,
22:25but it was a truth
22:26neither of them
22:26could put into words.
22:28Life, however,
22:29had to go on.
22:31Several days later,
22:32they traveled to Sinan
22:33for a performance,
22:34but it didn't take long
22:35for Chun-hae's grandmother
22:36to realize it was a scam.
22:38Fortunately,
22:39they managed to avoid
22:40financial loss,
22:41but the sting
22:42of the deception remained.
22:43On the same day,
22:44Chun-hae received a letter
22:45from the public
22:46transportation company
22:47that managed
22:48the buses.
22:49His complaint
22:50had made an impact.
22:52The company
22:52had called a meeting
22:53to apologize,
22:54presenting Chun-hae
22:55with three sacks
22:56of rice,
22:57flour,
22:58and oil
22:58as compensation.
23:00They even invited him
23:01to speak on stage,
23:03an unexpected recognition
23:04that left him
23:05quietly humbled.
23:07As Chun-hae stood
23:07on the stage,
23:08he couldn't shake
23:09the feeling
23:10that he had once again
23:11become the object
23:12of pity
23:12for a room
23:13full of strangers.
23:14But despite the weight
23:15of their gazes,
23:16he pressed on,
23:17determined to express
23:18his truth,
23:19no matter how small
23:20or broken he sometimes felt,
23:22he was still a whole person,
23:24deserving of respect
23:25and dignity.
23:26After the event,
23:27something shifted.
23:29Chun-hae's relationship
23:30with his family
23:31began to improve.
23:32They made dumplings together,
23:34laughing and sharing stories.
23:36Chun-hae even stepped
23:37into the role
23:37of older brother,
23:39helping care
23:39for his little sister.
23:41He took a driving lesson,
23:42and before long,
23:43he had his driver's license,
23:45ready to take
23:46his grandmother out
23:46for walks,
23:48showing her the world
23:48beyond their home.
23:50He told her
23:50with newfound conviction
23:51that from now on,
23:53he wanted to live
23:54his own way.
23:56Days later,
23:56Chun-hae scattered
23:57the ashes
23:58of his pet cat.
23:59It felt like
24:00a quiet release,
24:01a way of letting go
24:02of the past,
24:03though he couldn't
24:03quite explain
24:04why it mattered so much.
24:06One thing was clear,
24:08he had moved forward,
24:09and with that,
24:10the story quietly drew
24:11to a close.
24:12So the moral of the story is,
24:14life may not always
24:15give you the perfect rhythm,
24:17but with a little perseverance,
24:18a drumstick,
24:20and a grandmother
24:20who's willing
24:21to bend the rules,
24:22you can still make some noise.
24:24Just don't forget,
24:25sometimes it's not
24:26about the drumsticks,
24:27but who's cheering you on
24:28from the sidelines.