Episode 1 of "Our Unwritten Seoul" kicks off with Mi-ji's evocative narration, painting a vivid picture of her and her twin sister Mi-rae'sbirth. Originally destined to be named Mi-ji, meaning "still unknown," the elder twin's arrival was marked by complications that turned the tables. Seeing the firstborn's tumultuous start and envisioning a promising future for her, their parents bestowed upon her the moniker Mi-rae, translating to "future." Consequently, Mi-ji inherited the name that had initially been intended for her sibling.
In their childhood, Mi-ji and Mi-rae were mirror images of each other, indistinguishable to all except their father and grandmother, who possessed an uncanny knack for telling them apart. The untimely demise of their father left the twins with a void, which they filled by switching roles to bolster each other's weaknesses—Mi-rae, lacking in athletic prowess, and Mi-ji, struggling academically. This charade persisted until a routine medical examination unveiled their deceit.
To forestall further entanglements, the family opted for a drastic solution: cutting Mi-ji's hair short, creating a striking contrast between the twins. As the years rolled on, their individual identities blossomed into starkly contrasting personalities. Mi-rae soared to academic heights, while Mi-ji carved a niche in athletics. Nevertheless, her promising sporting career abruptly terminated when she stumbled and suffered an ankle injury during a race.
In the present narrative, Mi-ji toils as a cleaner in Seoul, still casting a longing shadow towards her sister's success. At the cusp of thirty, with her path uncertain, Mi-ji's spirits remain unyieldingly cheerful and vibrant. She bids adieu to her part-time job at a school and stumbles upon an opportunity to work at a strawberry farm, prompting her to submit a resume with renewed hope.
Meanwhile, Lee Ho-su, the boy who once resided across from the twins, now steps into the spotlight as a seasoned lawyer. He leverages his exceptional lip-reading abilities to outmaneuver adversaries in court, hinting at an undisclosed hearing impairment that remains shrouded in mystery. Returning to his hometown for ancestral rituals, Ho-su's path unexpectedly crosses with Mi-ji's as she delivers food to his mother on behalf of hers.
A nostalgic flashback transports us to the inception of Mi-ji and Ho-su's acquaintance. His indifference sparked her curt inquiry about his deafness, a remark that earned her his permanent silence, both in and out of school. Additionally, we delve into Ho-su's past as a star student, rumored to have harbored a romantic connection with Mi-rae.
Returning to the contemporary scene, Ho-su nonchalantly inquiries about Mi-rae to Mi-ji, an action that irritates her deeply. It seems as though everyone's sole focus is Mi-rae, despite the fact that she hasn't reciprocated Mi-ji's calls. At the strawberry farm, Han Se-jin comes into view, mocked by others for his previous harvest of mere three boxes of strawberries. He assigns the blame to organic farming for this dismal output. As he sifts through a pile of resumes, Mi-ji's stands out, remarkably barren of accomplishments, yet endorsed by a local man for her physical prowess and past athletic endeavors.
Further delving into Mi-ji's life reveals that she has been the caregiver for her grandmother, who has suffered a stroke, a responsibility that hindered her pursuit of a steady job. She subsequently phones Mi-rae, imploring her to visit their grandmother, but Mi-rae, perched alone in a corporate office, exhibits a blatant lack of interest.
While Mi-ji unleashes her frustrations to her mother regarding Mi-rae's detachment, it transpires that Mi-rae has been financially sustaining the household, covering hospital bills and caretaker expenses. Mi-ji finds herself at a crossroads in life, and in a moment of distraction, begins playing with an abandoned ball. It's then that she bumps into Ho-su once again and inadvertently strikes his left ear.
A flashback unveils a pivotal moment in Ho-su's life—a car accident that left the left side of his body paralyzed and rendered his left ear completely deaf. Mi-ji had only come to learn of this through Mi-rae, long after making insensitive comments towards him.
In the present tense, Mi-ji purchases an ice pack for Ho-su and he elucidates his condition. His left ear is now devoid of any hearing. He also divulges that he had sensed Mi-rae's struggles when he happenstance upon her in Seoul. He exhorts Mi-ji to engage with Mi-rae, believing that only she holds the key to reaching her sister's heart.
The following day, Mi-ji carries an assortment of side dishes to Seoul, intended for her sister Mi-rae. They convene at a cozy café, where Mi-rae confides in a haunting revelation—the notion of leaping from a third-story window as an escape from her burdensome life. Mi-ji initially dismisses it as a grim jest, yet upon her return from the lavatory, Mi-rae has vanished without a trace.
Concerned, Mi-ji heads to Mi-rae’s office only to discover her absence unreported. The gravity of the situation dawns upon her, prompting a frantic dash to her sister’s apartment. There, she finds Mi-rae perched precariously on the balcony’s edge, contemplating the unthinkable. In a heart-stopping moment, Mi-ji lunges forward, grappling with Mi-rae, and together they plummet but miraculously suffer only minor injuries.
A cascade of memories unfolds, revealing Mi-rae’s ordeal at the hands of workplace bullying. After valiantly defending a senior colleague who exposed the company’s director’s misconduct, that same senior was summarily dismissed, leaving Mi-rae as the next victim in the cruel chain.
At the hospital, Mi-rae’s emotional dam bursts, confessing her helplessness. She insists she is alright as she boards a bus bound for Mi-ji’s hometown, but Mi-ji cannot shake the memory of how her very name has shaped her into someone who acts impulsively in times of distress—a flashback showing her fiercely defending Ho-su from bullies in the past comes rushing back.
Acting purely on instinct, Mi-ji dashes back and proposes a bold plan, suggesting they switch lives, just as they did in their carefree childhood days, as the episode draws to a cliffhanger.
