The Second Melody - Season 1, Episode 5
[SCENE START]
EXT. MUSIC ACADEMY - DAY
A crowd of teenagers gathers at the entrance of a modern, sleek music academy. They are all impeccably dressed in trendy streetwear. A few are taking selfies and laughing.
HYUN-WOO (18) stands to the side, wearing a simple school uniform. He clutches his beat-up guitar case, feeling out of place. He sees the academy's logo, a sleek treble clef, and remembers it as the source of many of his old group's most talented trainees. He takes a deep breath and steps inside.
INT. ACADEMY LOBBY - CONTINUOUS
The lobby is a flurry of noise and energy. Hyun-woo walks to the front desk.
HYUN-WOO I'm here for my first day. Kim Hyun-woo.
The RECEPTIONIST barely looks up from her computer.
RECEPTIONIST (Flatly) ID and registration number.
Hyun-woo fumbles for his student ID. The receptionist scans it and points to a door.
RECEPTIONIST Room 302. You're late.
Hyun-woo rushes down the hall, passing practice rooms where groups of trainees are rehearsing. He sees their polished dance moves and hears their strong vocals. He feels a flash of pride, then a deep sense of sadness as the memories of his past life rush back. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to block out the flashbacks.
[SCENE END]
[SCENE START]
INT. PRACTICE ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The room is large and filled with about twenty trainees. JUNG MIN-JUN stands at the front, showing off a complex dance move to the instructor, MS. KIM (30s), a former dancer herself.
Hyun-woo quietly slips in and stands in the back. Ms. Kim notices him.
MS. KIM (Annoyed) Hyun-woo, you're late. Find a spot and try to catch up.
Hyun-woo nods, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Min-jun smirks at him.
Ms. Kim puts on a song, and the trainees begin to follow the choreography. Hyun-woo struggles. He can't keep up with the fast-paced, complex moves. His old body's muscle memory is gone. The steps feel clumsy and foreign. He is a step behind everyone else.
Min-jun glances at him, a look of smug satisfaction on his face.
MIN-JUN (Whispering to a friend) Look at him. He's so bad. He's making us all look bad.
MS. KIM (Shouting) Min-jun, focus on your own moves!
The music stops. Ms. Kim sighs.
MS. KIM Hyun-woo, you need to be practicing. A lot. Your passion is there, but your body isn't. It's a shame.
The other trainees laugh quietly. Hyun-woo hangs his head.
[SCENE END]
[SCENE START]
INT. HYUN-WOO'S ROOM - NIGHT
Hyun-woo sits on his bed, exhausted and frustrated. He clutches his phone, a familiar knot of anger in his stomach. He calls his mother.
MOM (V.O.) (Cheerfully) Hyun-woo, honey! I was just about to call you. Are you coming to Eun-sol's recital? She's so excited.
Hyun-woo's heart sinks. He remembers his younger half-sister.
HYUN-WOO (Forcing a smile) Oh, yeah. Of course. I'll be there. Is everything okay?
MOM (V.O.) Everything's great. Her ballet class has a big recital next month. She's so wonderful. I wish you could be here to see it.
Hyun-woo feels a wave of nausea. He clenches his fist, fighting back tears.
HYUN-WOO (In a choked whisper) I'm happy for her. I have to go now. I have homework.
He hangs up before she can respond. He stares at his phone, his frustration turning into a quiet fury. He grabs his laptop and goes to a popular Korean search engine. With a trembling hand, he types in "LUMIÈRE."
News articles and social media posts from 2025 flood the screen. He clicks on a photo of the four-member girl group. There she is, his half-sister EUN-SOL (16), smiling brightly, a different person from the little girl he knew. Beside her, his half-brother JIN-WOO (15) stands proudly with his boy group, a photo from a different article.
The sight is a devastating blow. It's a stark reminder that while he was living a nightmare, his parents found happiness and built new families with children who would go on to achieve everything he had lost. His pain is now a quiet rage. He closes the laptop and collapses on his bed, a single tear rolling down his cheek.
[SCENE END]
[SCENE START]
EXT. ACADEMY ENTRANCE - LATER
Hyun-woo sits on a bench, head down, his guitar on his lap. He's lost in thought, consumed by his sadness.
A voice breaks the silence.
JISOO Hey.
Hyun-woo looks up. JISOO (18) is standing there, smiling softly. She's dressed in a comfortable hoodie and jeans, looking approachable.
JISOO I saw you in there today. You're not bad.
HYUN-WOO (Quietly) Yeah, right. I was terrible.
JISOO That's not what I mean. Your dancing… well, you'll get there. But your voice… it has a story.
Hyun-woo looks at her, surprised. She's the first person to see his real talent, not just his clumsy attempts at a dance routine.
JISOO Most of the people here just want to be famous. But when you sing, it's different. It's real.
Hyun-woo looks at the ground, a small smile forming on his lips.
HYUN-WOO Thanks.
JISOO Don't give up. It's tough, but you have something they don't.
She gives him a warm, encouraging smile before walking away. Hyun-woo watches her go, a small sense of hope, a glimmer of light in the darkness. He looks down at his guitar, a new determination in his eyes.
[SCENE END]