The Blue House

The Best Day

The last time Bin dreamed about the death of his father was a good ten years ago. Give or take. He doesn't really remember it nor he wants to revisit the experience, it was a sad day he never wants to relive, for sure.

That changes the day Kang Jin Tae drops the bomb about his father's case. The nightmare comes back that night, as Bin finds himself sitting between his younger self and his father. The tension between them is indisputable.

He had been in this situation too many times in the past— long before now, his mind kept playing the event that followed them. Until he played hooky and shoved everything to the back of his mind.

But now he has no choice. The film keeps rolling and he becomes an unwilling spectator. And just like many times before, the dream starts on the long bridge crossing above Han river.

It was a bright day, a typical summer day in South Korea. Bin was pouting as the state car drove him him back to reality after a weekend getaway. A weekend where promises were broken and only the loneliness remained.

"But you promised!" Bin shouted stubbornly.

"It's a state emergency, son. It's an important situation where I need to be the leader. You have to understand." Hyun Ji Sook tried to explain his difficult task as the Head of State and Government to his eldest child, despite knowing any explanation wouldn't be enough for the boy.

There was always something — anything! — more important than him. More important than the moment they got to share together. As a family, as father and son.

Maybe if he was a bit older, Bin would know that the term state emergency was something that was really beyond him, beyond their family, because other 50 millions lives might depend on the action of the president. His father.

But he wasn't older. He was a young boy who wanted attention from his father, who wanted to feel as if he wasn't alone.

He knows what's coming as he watches his younger self spouting things he didn't mean. The show of hatred he regretted forever, because he could never take it back.

"Don't. Don't say it, boy. You didn't hate him, you loved him." Bin mumbles.

"You always said that. That I had to understand, but why did I have to? I didn't ask for this holiday, you promised me! And you broke it. I hate you, Abeoji. I hate you!" In his reactive state, Bin forgot the protocol and if not for his old man, he would have had run out the car when the motorcade came to stop in front of the massive compound of their house.

Bin leans over his father and holds the door handle, desperately wanting to prevent him to get off the car and meets his fate. What is the purpose of having this dream if he can change nothing about it?

"I know you're mad, but remember, never exits before me. And never exits before Mr. Cha opens the door. We never know who is out there." His father said his piece. He patted Bin in the cheek with a sad smile when his Chief Security Cha Seung Won opened his door.