We open at a prison where a white-haired man is being released back into society. As the other prisoners whoop and chant his name, it quickly becomes apparent that they deeply admire-or even reverethis man: he's JANG JAE-BUM (Yang Ik-joon), who drinks it all in.
Elsewhere at a pool party, the DJ entertains the crowd, then steps down to assume his main role as the birthday boy. He blows out the candles on his cake and is kissed by his sweetheart, completely unaware that an uninvited guest is about to crash the party.
The music cuts out and his smile drops when he turns to see a fired up Jae-bum, who throws a punch and stabs him repeatedly with the fork in his hand. Holy crap, this guy's not right in the head. Our birthday boy falls to the ground while his friends charge at his attacker. His girlfriend starts crying, and a student runs to his side, crying out: "Writer-nim! Writer-nim!"
Jae-bum goes on a stabbing spree until he's finally pinned to the ground. His vision and hearing blurry, Jae-bum's death threats sound muffled to the birthday boy's ears. Curiously, the birthday boy cracks into a smile, muttering: "Hyung... what a fool." Wait a minute, you two are related? By blood?!
Better introduce our hero before he slips into unconsciousness: he's JANG JAE-YEOL (Jo In-sung), and it turns out yes-he's Jae-bum's dongsaeng. (Also, acckkk we're watching Jo In-sung get stabbed.Again.)
We cut away to meet our heroine, JI HAE-SOO (Gong Hyo-jin) who moves into her new, but messy abode. Not like she's much of a neat-freak either, since she fishes a bowl out of the sink and makes herself at home eating cereal in front of the TV.
Evidently Jae-bum is sent right back to prison to serve a 30-month sentence for those multiple stabbings, despite his brother's pleas for leniency from the court. Hae-soo remarks how that best-selling author Jang Jae-yeol's got a face that sells books; she must be a reader, though, since she gripes at hearing that this means the release of his upcoming book will be postponed. "I've been waiting for months!" she yells, annoyed.
Her early bird TV watching wakes up an irritated housemate, JO DONG-MIN (Sung Dong-il), whose complaints Hae-soo lets roll off her shoulder. Dong-min spits up when she calls for their other roomie, shouting at her to let the poor guy sleep 'cause he's just been dumped and been crying for days.
But Hae-soo ignores him, and bursts into PARK SOO-KWANG (Lee Kwang-soo)'s room. There's enough evidence here about the break-up including pictures with the ex-girlfriend, the depressing music, and the pile of tissues for us without Dong-min having to warn her or us.
So when Hae-soo tsks disapprovingly, Dong-min claims the guy was just blowing his nose. Aw. Hae-soo isn't unsympathetic to Soo-kwang's pitiful state, but doesn't say anything either and simply leaves.
Dong-min, on the other hand, wakes Soo-kwang up to ask if this book he's been reading (written by Jae-yeol entitled Silence of Love) required that many tissues before curling up next to him. What a good friend for trying to cheer the poor guy up.
26 Months Later. Morning breaks on a luxurious high-rise apartment, where Jae-yeol washes up, his stab scar still visible on his shoulder. His clipped answers to his girlfriend (Yoon Jin-yi) irritate her, as she updates him on the apartment search. (Speaking of, that bathroom door has a digital lock. Is that a rich person thing? Or is Jae-yeol slightly paranoid? Or has dramaland transcended to door lock PPL?)
It rather seems like that lovey-dovey phase we saw earlier is long past them, even though they've spent the night together. Seeing Jae-yeol pull her into a lingering backhug makes me wonder if there's still a little romance left, but he gives her a quick goodbye. Once he's gone, she picks up a call and asks after "my book." Hm, curious.
