In tvN's 'Typhoon Company', Lee Junho created a tense ending by blocking a cargo truck.
The second episode of the tvN weekend drama 'Typhoon Company' (directed by Lee Na-jung and Kim Dong-hwi, written by Jang Hyun, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Imaginas and Studio PIC and Tree Studio), aired on the 12th, depicted the story of a young man, Kang Tae-poong (played by Lee Junho), who loved flowers and entered the company 'Typhoon Company', which his father, Kang Jin-young (played by Sung Dong-il), had cherished and built for 26 years, during the stormy season of the IMF.
On this day, the ratings were 6.8% nationwide average, with a peak of 7.5%, and a 6.3% average in the metropolitan area, peaking at 7.2%, showing an increase from the previous episode, proving its box office success by ranking first in the same time slot among cable and general programming channels. (Based on paid platforms including cable, IPTV, and satellite / provided by Nielsen Korea)
The impact of the IMF was clearly revealed from the funeral home of father Jin-young. The president of Sapdari Logistics, Choi (played by Kim Do-young), caused a ruckus by demanding the confiscation of the condolence money, claiming there were outstanding payments. It was the accountant, Oh Mi-sun (played by Kim Min-ha), who stood up against the bitter reality that money came first even in the face of death. She accurately recalled every detail of the contract clause, invoice issuance date, and postal date, informing them that the payment deadline was still pending.
It didn't stop there. Mi-sun's younger brother, Oh Mi-ho (played by Kwon Han-sol), who had been accepted by Korean Air, received an unprecedented notice of cancellation of employment, and Mi-sun had to give up her dream of going to college. Tae-poong's best friend, Wang Nam-mo (played by Kim Min-seok), saw his mother, Eul-nyeo (played by Park Seong-yeon), receive a waiting order from the bank where she had worked as a deputy branch manager. The harsh reality of being pushed out of her desk and having to endure in a cold hallway showed the difficult times everyone faced.
The employees of Typhoon Company, except for Mi-sun, Ko Ma-jin (played by Lee Chang-hoon), Cha Seon-taek (played by Kim Jae-hwa), Gu Myeong-gwan (played by Kim Song-il), and Baek Sung-jung (played by Lee Sang-jin), also submitted their resignations and left the company.
Tae-poong went to Typhoon Company to sort out his father's belongings. The office, stained with the passage of time, still held traces of what his father had built over the past 26 years. All the ledgers and journals in the office testified to his father's intense life.
At that moment, President Choi from Sapdari Logistics barged in again, demanding a joint guarantee for the outstanding payments and pressuring for a successor. Unable to just watch, Tae-poong stepped up to take responsibility. To President Choi, who demanded qualifications, he declared, "From today, I am an employee," and filled out the employment documents that Mi-sun had handed over.
Until that point, Tae-poong had planned to return to being a florist and take care of flowers after sorting everything out. However, he discovered a secret safe in his father's office. Following Mi-sun's hint that the president dreamed of a 'centennial plan', he entered '2072', the year Typhoon Company would celebrate its 100th anniversary, as the password, and bank accounts in his and the employees' names appeared. It was then that Tae-poong realized what 'Typhoon Company' meant to his father. It was his father's heart that cherished each and every person he worked with as family, beyond just employees.
In Kang Tae-poong's bank account, there was also a letter from his father. It was a so-called 'bank letter' where he deposited 300,000 won every month, leaving a four-character sender's name. Inside, the message read, "Father supports your dreams. You are always the person I love the most. What matters more than results is people. We are more fragrant than flowers and more valuable than money," stacked neatly.
Thus, Tae-poong asked Mi-sun for help, saying, "I want to learn some work." It was his determination to become a 'real employee' of Typhoon Company. Mi-sun conveyed the last words of the president, who had earnestly held her hand, saying, "Tae-poong will do well. I ask you." She also made a business card for 'Employee Kang Tae-poong'. Tae-poong shed the tears he had held back at the funeral, reflecting on his father's wishes once again.
The next day, Tae-poong arrived at the company with a completely changed appearance. He erased his flashy style and hair bridge, showing up in a business suit with a briefcase. Eager to learn as a 'real employee', Tae-poong followed Mi-sun and Ma-jin to the Daebang Textile delivery site.
However, the atmosphere of that company was unusual. The office was excessively clean, the filing cabinets were empty, and the phone lines were unplugged. The 'stains of time' that should have been present in a company over 30 years old, which he had seen in his father's office, were nowhere to be found.
Sensing that something was wrong, Tae-poong urged Mi-sun not to trust him and not to stamp the documents, and he ran at full speed towards the cargo truck loaded with fabric. If the delivery proceeded, it would be a risky situation with outstanding payments. Nevertheless, as Ma-jin did not back down, he ultimately lay down on the asphalt in front of the cargo truck. Petals scattered over Tae-poong's face. One day, his father had told young Tae-poong, "It's not that the flowers are falling, but they are doing their best to bear fruit."
Whether Tae-poong can bear fruit for the financially troubled Typhoon Company remains to be seen, but the explosive tension and the hopeful ending raised expectations for the next episode.
'Typhoon Company' airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 PM on tvN.
[Kim Mi-ji, Star Today Reporter]
