Min Ji-.?$suk runs a t?=icke t b arwh-=]er$.e custome;[: (rs can =purch;ase `tick#;)ets for certain servicesin the town o$+@f So]+kcho in Gangw /on-do. S$*h+ e hi:;res +Miss-@+ ) Yan+ `g (Ahn So-youn
;??g)_ , Miss [Hong (Lee Hye-young+,), ; )and Se- #\[youn@g (Jeon Se-yo=un(g) t%h_!rough, t(h=[;e emp=loym_en\(t  agenc;_ y.^! Miss,++. Yang and Miss Hong, who are /.; well! experienced in this typ.e\ of bu]*sin(ess, $^are used%/ to a[c,-cepting propositions fr?]o@m customers. B$ )_ut  Se#+-young,#? )^`who is dating  /a college st
$ udent named Min\^-_su\_)+, rejects all )]r=`eques=ts #for se[
x$ual favors. When Min$-su p%rofess`\?es;) t
o
$hav?]^^#ing/ prob-[lems with his /tuitio; n and : finances, S=]e:,-young reas_sures him that sh e wi$;ll+ pro[ cure#% th_/@e ;necessary fun%=ds for him. W hen the bar'% s -clientele be]gi=ns t_;o d+!w:ind+le b _ecause o#*f @?`Se-young, Ji-suk repri?#^ma^nds her s` :ever^``ely==. )-Se-young develop,s a close relat(*;ions`hip wit[h a Captain Pak and e#ven allows him ^ t[o sleep @wi)t\$h her. She asks Captain Pak to f-%
]ind,- Mi`^n-su employ@me$##[nt) on a +  boat, *but /=wh@en Min-su co/`?mes t;o #.Sokcho fo^^r his new job-, `,@he sees how @\Se-you.+ng #+*-h-=a@s been maki:n/]#g her living. ((Sho\*c/\[ked, ; he @/=tu]rn:s his back on the -jo=b ^^; an..`d leaves. When  he even)tua;=?ll%-y returns to Sokcho, he,[ scathingly denounces Se%+,-young*`'s mora)lity and severs their rela[
?tionshi*p. Decades ago, _Ji:`*-suk had stumbled `^! into the bar business in\ a(!$ despe!,rate effor ,%t to suppo%* rt her (husba\nd@^, who-@ was serving time i n=?( pri%.s,!on; sh%]e` ; later left hi]m _? volu?;!ntarily o)ut of sh-:ame a? #nd moral degradatio);n.%@ Concerned that Se)-+ you`\ng w%ill )end up with the s?\ame \:f/)at(\e,; Ji-$suk #:asks Min-su t]`o m][\;e#et with h#e-r. She b .$egs h)):,$im no-%t to abandon Se-young,;\! but he fl:#_]atly r@efuses. Ji-suk reac \t*/s by pus]@hing=@ ] Min-su int o the sea, and s_)uffers;  a mental breakdow` n that lands her in a+  psy;chiatric i#[nstit?utio(?!;#n.