Gwi Owns the Night, Part I

37

EXT. PATH – DAY
SEASON WINTER

HR and MS walk along a quiet path. It is bright but cool.

HYE-RYUNG
How is it that you came to work at the palace, Kim Mi-sook?

MI-SOOK
To be honest, miss, most of us came in the first place because we just had no other option. I was utterly destitute after my husband abandoned me, taking our only child with him. I searched for them until I had no money or food left. My mother had already passed away and I had no other family. I was completely alone and afraid of what might happen to me. There were all sorts of rumours about work here – some good, most bad. But I met an elderly woman who had spent most of her life working here as a cleaner. And she told me I could be safer here than in the world if I could keep my head down and do a job.

There certainly are benefits to working for the master. We are all here until we can no longer manage the tasks, at which point we are released with ample provision to survive old age, so it provides us with long-term security. And nothing rivals the daily lifestyle that we have as servants. It's not just the rich and powerful who enjoy the benefits here; we also have the finest food and drink, we have all the comforts of living in a palace, though dark in some places, we are allowed ample amounts of free time.

Obviously, there are many gruesome days and we do have fears that other servants will not have. But when you arrive with nothing or worse than nothing it's not such a terrible deal. For some of us, even being killed quickly and disposed of by people who know us is better than the situations we came here in.

The penalty for speaking about our lives here is obviously high, but most of us have no friends or family outside of these walls, so it is very easy to follow that requirement. In any case, we have no desire to see people lining up to take our positions.
(smiles)

HYE-RYUNG
Well, I for one, am very happy that you are here and that you are now my personal maid. Not that the previous maid was ever a problem for me, but I'm sure you know how things were for me before.

MI-SOOK
Yes, miss. I'm very sorry that you had to endure so many years of loneliness – added to the difficulty of living in such a place and how you came here. I think when you arrived the staff around you must have decided to keep their heads down at all costs. The less interaction the safer they'd be. It's not kind, but they must have convinced themselves it was necessary.

HYE-RYUNG
Yes, I certainly never expected any more than that. I find now though that it is such a relief to have you, as though I am finally able to breathe a little here, when I didn't even realise I'd been holding my breath.

HR tears up, the exhaustion combined with her thankfulness for MS's presence in her life becoming too much for her.

MI-SOOK
Here now.

MS turns and takes HR by the shoulders and looks at her face. She wipes a tear away.

MI-SOOK (CONT'D)
Yes, I think it's time we head back, don't you?

HR wipes her eyes and nods. MS holds HR's good arm as they turn back.

MI-SOOK (CONT'D)
I'm also very happy to be with you, you know. My daughter was only a few years older than you – not that I say she would have been half as fine as you, miss. But we make a good match, I think. An abandoned child and a childless mother.
(laughs lightly at the thought of their hardships working together and this being more than a random move)

HYE-RYUNG
Yes, we certainly do.

INT. HR'S ROOM

HR sits on her mattress while MS pours her jujube tea.

MI-SOOK
Here you are, miss.

MS sits down next to HR and carefully hands her the cup of tea.

HYE-RYUNG
Thank you.

MI-SOOK
(pats HR's head)
I know that you're having terrible nightmares and that it's frightening to sleep right now. But if you can even get an hour or two in, it's well worth it. I will stay here all the while and if I see you are disturbed at all I will wake you up directly.

HYE-RYUNG
I will try my best Kim Mi-sook. It will be a relief for everyone if I am able to return to some state of normalcy.

LATER – EVENING

HR sleeps, looking slightly distressed. MS shakes HR.

MI-SOOK
Miss, miss wake up.

HR comes to slowly.

MI-SOOK (CONT'D)
You seemed disturbed. Was it the nightmare again?

HYE-RYUNG
Yes, but you woke me up before it got worse. Thank you. Did I sleep for very long?

MI-SOOK
(smiles broadly)
It is nearly time for dinner, miss. I think this is the longest you've slept since- for three weeks now.
(moves on quickly from her blunder)
I have decided that two of us will stay with you through the night so that we can work in shifts. If you are able to sleep a few hours at a time, that will benefit you greatly.
(brushes HR's hair back with her fingers)
And hopefully over time the nightmares will begin to fade. Maybe you'll even have a good dream soon.
(presses her hand)

HYE-RYUNG
(reminded of her last good dream, pained but also flooded with feeling, tries to smile)
Yes, that would be a welcome change. Thank you, Kim Mi-sook.

MI-SOOK
Let me call for your dinner.