CHO Ahn, CHA Ye-ryun
Invested by Choi Wan
Produced by Han Seong Goo Kim Bum Shik, I gwan su
Written by Jijak, Kim Tae Kyung
Photographed by Park Jae Hong Lighting by Nam Jin Ah
Synchronous recording by Kim Do Hyun Production Designed by Lee Tae Hoon
Edited by Ko Im Pyo Sound by Kim Bong Soo
Music by Ryu Hyung Wook CG by Hong Ho Cheol
Producer Kim Sung Hoon Assistant of Director Lee Jae Yoon
Directed by KIM Tae-kyung
MUOI
Do you know Muoi's curse?
Isn't that a curse for betraying friends?
No, it's for betraying love.
Muoi has two faces.
A pretty face for bewitching.
And a scary one for revenge.
Do you know Muoi's curse?
Don't film me! Get the fuck away from me!
He knows something!
It's only a legend now.
But they believed in it in the old days.
Muoi allegedly put a curse on the whole village.
Today, they still sing Muoi's song.
You said Seoyeon was a slut.
And that you were sorry for Jihoon to hook up with her.
You didn't have any problems...
...when you wrote about her.
Why make a fuss now?
Secrets and Lies
No point digging up the past.
But she's going to Vietnam to see Seoyeon.
No, it's for my new book!
What, the legend of Muoi?
Think about it. What if she read your book?
I doubt that she did.
And I don't fuckin care as long as I can get the story.
Well, you haven't written for 3 years.
You're that desperate, aren't you?
When will you stop using her for your career?
Seongeun!
Am I wrong?
You guys were real tight. And you sold her out.
I don't get it.
Enough about her. Let's just drink.
Let's take a picture.
At Wild Moon with my darling Jihoon.
Show her how Jihoon and I are doing.
It would be okay, right?
Didn't you wanna borrow my camera?
Let us see how much she's changed!
This is SHlN Yoonhee. Please, leave a message.
Listen, Yoonhee.
It's me, your editor. This is your last chance.
If you don't bring anything, you'll cough up every penny.
Get me the story, okay?
January 10th of the lunar calendar
Not happy to see me?
You are... CHAE Seoyeon?
Of course.
I haven't seen you in ages, and you've changed a lot.
It's only been 3 years.
Thanks for coming. Welcome to Vietnam.
I missed you, Yoonhee.
I did, too.
'After countless wars against the World Powers...'
'...Vietnam managed to achieve its independence.'
Knowing Vietnamese history will help you write.
It isn't much different from our own.
I'm not here to have fun. Or to study history.
What I want is that legend you told me about.
We just met and you're talking shop?
I'm on a tight schedule. It's a scary story, right?
Don't forget me when you make it big with it.
That's Muoi when she was little.
Her name means 10 in Vietnamese.
Or it refers to the 10th child.
She was born with power to cast a curse?
She was a normal child.
Like us.
As her ghost was rumored to haunt the village...
...villagers were terrified.
Monks had sealed her spirit in a portrait.
But the seal came undone, and the curse began.
What does her curse do?
They say that the curse is cast on the 15th with the full moon.
And it lasts for 15 days.
But I don't know what it does.
If the curse has been around for 100 years...
How come nobody has seen any victims?
Don't you think it's odd?
If the legend were true, nobody would've survived.
How was the seal lifted?
I don't know. It's your job to find out.
Revenge of the dead that nobody can stop...
How'd you learn that?
Professor KlM told me.
I put subtitles in video footages for him.
He studies Vietnamese folklore.
Then I should meet him.
Unfortunately, he's gone back to Korea.
I'll meet him in Korea. You got his number?
Not his number in Korea.
No?
How are the others doing?
I've lost touch with them.
You have? I wonder how they are.
We should go to bed early for tomorrow.
Seoyeon! Seoyeon!
The door is open.
No other room's available. I heard this room is haunted.
Well, it should be okay.
What's wrong?
I... Over there...
Let's go in, shall we?
January 11th of the lunar calendar
It was built long ago by a French military officer.
When I first saw this mansion, I wanted to settle down here.
My dad was against the idea.
But I managed to talk him into it.
What do you think?
Pretty nice.
But you live alone here. Isn't it too big?
I love its spaciousness.
What a nice country...
It's changed you completely.
It'll do the same to you.
You'll find the room comfortable.
That's where I paint. Messy, but my secret place.
Don't go up there.
If you need anything, let me know.
My room is downstairs. Wanna check it out?
Maybe later. Let's get to work.
CHAE Seoyeon on a boat.
Remember? We rode a boat back in high school.
You were rowing the boat, and I wished...
...for the river to take us...
...to a place where nobody could find us.
I depended on you so much back then.
You got your wish granted.
You think?
Villagers kept their distance from Muoi of humble birth.
Lonely, she fell in love with an artist named Nuen.
But he left her before completing her portrait.
She wanted to keep the portrait, but she knew she couldn't...
...because Nuen had a fiancee.
A lady of wealth.
She couldn't stand the fact that Muoi stole her love.
So she started spreading rumors.
That Muoi was evil bewitching men with a pretty face.
So she killed Muoi?
No, she did the worse.
At that house.
It was right here.
I can only imagine how painful it must've been.
He thought Muoi left him and went back to his fiancee.
But Muoi couldn't face him with her bloody face.
So she decided to seek revenge.
On the 15th of the lunar calendar...
Muoi became a grudged ghost seeking revenge.
How much she wanted revenge even after death...
You don't know, do you?
Did I make it too scary?
Look around. I'll wait outside.
Is this girl Muoi?
This is all the data I have.
Thanks.
No problem. I'll go paint now.
Where does Prof. KlM work?
What is it that you want?
The professor is gone, but the date must be here.
What, you'll steal it?
If I have to!
But there's a problem. It's Biet who's half-Korean.
After having so much trouble for being bi-racial in Korea...
...she came back here.
So she's rather mean to Koreans.
We'll see.
You can't tell me that now.
Don't you know the importance of this seminar?
You'll be in big trouble if anything goes wrong!
I have a friend from Korea.
Whatever it is, fix it. Okay?
God, my stomach...
Is the bathroom locked?
It's the last room on the second floor.
Wait.
Take this.
God, my stomach...
January 12th of the lunar calendar
Thanks.
Got anything?
You know how the seal was lifted?
How?
It was toward the end of the 2nd World War.
The Japanese soldiers robbed the temple...
...where Muoi's portrait was kept.
Major Yoshimoto.
He found himself in a place where he shouldn't be.
So what happened to him?
Nobody knows for sure.
But Muoi's portrait is still in this country.
Waiting for her revenge...
When the pin was removed, the seal was lifted.
But not the grudge.
That's when Muoi's curse began.
You ask her to seek revenge for you.
And she does so like it's her own matter.
How do you undo the curse?
I wish I freakin knew...
-Something's odd, though. -What?
Whoever casts the curse should pay Muoi the price.
Like what?
What does a ghost need? It's a human body.
There's a copy of her portrait. Wanna go check it out?
Wow, they look genuine.
He can copy anything he sees.
Looking for anything?
Muoi's portrait.
I can't let you see it.
-What's he saying? -He can't let us see it.
She'd been cursed.
He decided to copy it cause the image was so intense.
While painting it, he got scared, feeling her spirit.
Really? How'd you persuade him to show it to us?
I told him you'd been cursed.
What?
Though it's only a copy, looking into her eyes...
...he could sense her spirit taking over him.
That's why he covered her eyes.
Hey, this is a hoax.
-What do you mean? -I've seen that picture.
-When? -At Muoi's house.
I even took a picture of it.
This is weird. I did take its picture.
At White Moon with my darling Jihoon
It's not my camera. I borrowed it from Seongeun.
I lied to you because I knew you still had feelings for him.
That's not the problem.
There's no portrait at that house.
What?
If what you're saying is true, you saw her ghost.
You've been cursed and will die like Muoi.
God, you scared me!
Let's go have some fun.
Say hi to Mai and Wan.
This is Yoonhee from Korea.
-Hi. -Hi!
Let's toast.
To our friendship and youth!
Bottom's up!
Come on, drink it.
Drink it! Drink it!
How's it going with that guy? He's a cutie.
It's okay.
Come on, tell us.
I know you're crazy about him.
Good luck!
I'll never understand men.
There you go again. Come on, let's drink.
You don't know him.
And he's a foreigner.
So?
It's obvious what he wants.
So what? You're not jealous, are you?
What?
Are you upset?
Yoonhee?
You were acting like a tramp.
Come on, I just danced with him.
You just confirmed those rumors about you.
What do you mean?
I'm tired. Let's go home.
Seoyeon?
You were out of it all night. Feeling better now?
Yes. Thanks.
You shouldn't have drunk that much.
My dad got transferred abroad after mom died.
I should've gone with him.
Then nobody would've blamed him for dumping me.
And Jihoon wouldn't have been able to hurt me. Right?
What'd you tell them about me?
What made Jihoon do what he did to me?
I'm sorry! Stop it!
I'm a kleptomaniac? A slut? A whore?
You lied about me in your book.
Do you have any idea how much that hurt me?
You caused this to happen.
It's your fault. You're to blame!
Hey, you're up. Breakfast is almost ready.
Sorry about last night. I was being too sensitive.
It's okay. I had so much fun.
How's the book coming?
No, I need more information.
She killed herself to seek revenge on the 15th of the lunar calendar.
So it's about her grudge and jealousy.
Motives are too weak.
Any ideas?
I like it, though.
Readers like it provocative.
Anything more cruel and provocative?
What's cruel? What's provocative?
Something that humans wouldn't do.
So what happened to her is nothing?
Put yourself in her shoes. How would you feel?
It's so painful to be taken apart from someone you love.
You don't know?
Why don't you try to understand the pain that she was in?
I'm writing about what happened 1 00 years ago.
What, she wasn't human? Was she born a ghost?
People like you are to blame.
People like you are the cause for her curse!
Got that?
January 13th of the lunar calendar
Muoi? you know, you know this Muoi? Muoi, no?
You know this, Muoi? Muoi?
You know this, Muoi? Muoi!
I don't know.
She's dangerous! Don't find her.
You know about Muoi?
Are you talking about her?
What are you doing? Let go of me!
What's wrong with you?
Let go of my arm!
Anything else?
God, this is so pretty.
Try this on. Come on.
God, it looks great on you.
Hey, it looks better on you.
You should keep it.
Go bother Seoyeon. Why me?
She's busy painting. I think she's upset with me.
So? What do you want from me?
Muoi? Seoyeon got you, too?
What?
Prof. Kim got into Muoi because of her.
She wore a hat all year around. So I thought she was sick.
I found out later she was losing hair due to stress.
I don't know what she told him about Muoi.
But Prof. KIM became obsessed with this Muoi thing.
Seoyeon knew about Muoi before Prof. KlM?
It's only a legend. Doesn't matter who knew first.
Anyway, she changed afterwards.
She became happier, and her hair grew back.
Yeah?
If you want, I can take you to Prof. KlM's place.
What are your friends doing here?
It's so pretty, isn't it?
I'm wearing it for the wine party.
Let's go enjoy the party.
Still seeing him?
No, I met someone better.
What's he like?
He's cute.
And?
He's cute and cool!
Yeah?
I'm pretty serious with him.
What's the truth?
There's only one answer, but everyone has a different one.
You said the truth about Vietnam had been distorted.
Do you think power decides the truth?
Putting on make-up and a dress, you're still the same.
I am? How come you're not?
What are you trying to say?
Nothing in particular. I heard you'd been sick.
Healthy now?
-It's raining. -Let's go inside
Did you see Seoyeon?
She's sleeping in her room.
Did you just speak Korean?
No, you spoke Vietnamese.
What?
Looking back, Seoyeon was more eager than Prof. KlM.
She even managed to find a victim.
So there's actually a victim of the curse?
Curse my butthole.
I bet she paid that girl to convince the professor.
Is it true that he's gone back to Korea?
To Korea?
No way. I have his passport.
What?
I'm sure he's somewhere digging into this legend thing.
He's often out of touch when researching out there.
Not this long, though.
I feel sorry for you writing about this bullshit.
We help each other, right? You have an hour.
January 14th of the lunar calendar
What are the indications?
I can't sleep.
I feel my body burning up.
And every night, I hear a girl singing.
Watching me, humming a song...
One day, I saw myself in the mirror.
But it wasn't me.
Then I saw her.
A girl limping toward me.
What's happening to me? Am I gonna die?
Do you know Muoi's curse?
Don't wake her up!
You'll die!
Seoyeon!
We need to talk! Seoyeon!
Lies and Secrets
It was far from the truth. So I didn't think it was me.
But as I kept reading it, I couldn't tell anymore.
So I thought you might have made it up.
What's your truth?
You wanted revenge?
Revenge?
The indications of Muoi's curse are happening in this house.
You knew that.
Yet, you used the book as bait and got me into this.
You wanted to curse me? Is that it?
If you do something wrong, you either pay or seek forgiveness.
Isn't that life?
Seongeun was right. I shouldn't have come here.
Whatever you have in mind, it won't work.
That's what I want.
Your safe return to Korea.
What do you think? Do we look alike?
This is it, huh? Let's talk about the old days.
When we were 10,
we played with my mom's ring. Remember that?
No.
You wanted the ring. Don't remember that?
That's not what I wanna know.
Why'd you lie about Prof. KiM?
And about witnesses.
Why'd you edit out the interview of that old lady?
Do you think what you know is everything?
Answer my question! What do you have in mind?
You liked Jihoon, too. Didn't you?
Seoyeon!
Jihoon asked me to meet him.
I felt like walking on air, waiting for him.
But everything changed that day.
Everything.
Look, this biatch is cute.
Wait, I'm going first.
-No, I am! -Before you...
Please, don't do this. Stop it!
Does it hurt?
-You do that every time. -What?
What?
What are you doing?
Run. Those guys...
Stupid asses! Can't handle a chick?
Jihoon...
What are you doing? Finish what you started.
Come here, bitch.
Let go! Let me go!
You like it rough, don't you? Stay away from Jihoon.
-Don't do this! -He's my man.
I couldn't live in Korea.
Wherever I go, whomever I'm with...
I felt as if they all saw the tape.
There was nothing I could do.
I'm sorry. I didn't know any of that.
I wrote a book, based on rumors about you.
It's okay. I've changed.
I'm really sorry.
Go to the temple. You'll learn more about the curse.
Seoyeon!
Yoonhee, Yoonhee, Yoonhee. Help me, help...
Seoyeon...
What's at the temple?
That's where Muoi's portrait was.
I'm not sure, but there might be a way.
Why are you helping Seoyeon?
I owe her. It's time to pay back.
I won't bother you anymore.
I'm not a leech, okay?
It's Eunjung. My Korean name.
Muoi, I know you were in so much pain.
But this isn't right.
It's all my fault. Come to me.
Let me finish the portrait.
Muoi!
Go back to the world beyond!
'lf you don't stop now, Muoi's curse will live forever.'
'lf what you're saying is true, Seoyeon is Muoi.'
Stick it in Seoyeon's heart.
What?
What is it? Tell me what he said!
If I tell you, then what?
It'll help me decide what to do!
-Stick it in Seoyeon's heart. -What?
Killing her is the only way to end the curse.
Can you do it?
What if it's true? What if the curse is true?
What about Seoyeon? What about me?
There's no curse. It's a pile of bullshit!
Forget about the book and go back to Korea.
It's for your own sake. Okay?
Eunjung!
Eunjung! Eunjung!
No! No!
Eunjung! Eunjung!
January 15th of the lunar calendar
Prof. KIM?
Death begins the curse?
As that old lady said...
One who awakens Muoi can't evade death.
Where Yoshimoto resided...
That's where Muoi's portrait is kept.
I have to stop the curse.
But... But...
I'm not sure if this is the way to do it.
Here's the chant to call her sprit.
You...
Stay away from me.
Stop there. Stop!
One of us has to die.
I should die for you to live.
I can't. No.
Don't you get it? Both of us will die then.
You want to die?
You're right. What did I do wrong?
Nothing. Why should I die here?
I'm not gonna die here. No way.
That's right. Kill me.
Go ahead, stab me. Stab me now!
I'm sorry.
I'm really sorry, Seoyeon.
Thank you. My death will begin the curse.
Whoever casts the curse should pay Muoi the price.
Death begins the curse.
What would a ghost need? It's a human body.
I couldn't forgive you, either.
Muoi is back.
This is SHlN Yoonhee. Please, leave a message.
Yoonhee, I can't believe you.
You fed-exed me my camera a month after you came back?
Don't we have to get together?
We'll meet soon. Just be patient.
Damn, she's still boorish.
CHAE Seoyeon on a boat.
February 15th of the lunar calendar
What's this?
What's wrong with this?
Did she break it?
Damn, why does she want to meet here?
Death begins the curse.
-Stop fighting. -Let go.
Stop it. What are you doing?
Let go of me!
Help!