With Kim Tae-ri, who lost her voice and fell into despair, leaving the Maeran National Theater Company, the Maeran National Theater Company, which is about to hold a decisive joint performance, is thrown into chaos.

In episode 9 of the tvN weekend drama ‘Retirement’ (directed by Jung Ji-in/written by Choi Hyo-bi/planned by Studio Dragon/produced by Studio N, management mmm, and Npio Entertainment) that aired on the 9th (Sat), Yoon Jeong-nyeon (played by Kim Tae-ri) participated in the child actor audition for the women‘s national theater troupe’s joint performance ‘The Fool and the Princess’, but after excessive vocal training (vocal training in front of a cave or waterfall to gain voice) and coughed up blood on stage, she was diagnosed with ‘I have to give up my voice’ and fell into deep despair. In the midst of various confusing situations, preparations for the performance ‘The Fool and the Princess’, which will determine the fate of the Maeran National Theater Troupe, began.

Along with this, episode 9 of ‘Retirement’ recorded an average of 12.7% for households in the metropolitan area, a high of 14.3%, an average of 12.0% for households nationwide, a high of 14.3%, and a high of 14.3%. With 13.7%, it continued its hot popularity, taking first place in the same time slot across all channels including terrestrial channels. tvN‘s target 2049 viewership ratings also recorded the highest at 4.4% in the metropolitan area and the highest at 4.5% nationwide, firmly maintaining first place in the same time slot across all channels including terrestrial channels. (Based on Nielsen Korea’s paid platform)

Jeongnyeon, who collapsed on stage, was taken to the hospital, and the young Ondal went to Yeongseo (played by Shin Ye-eun) and the young Pyeonggang went to Joo-ran (played by Woo Da-bi). However, the two of them could not be happy at all. Yeongseo could not shake the thought that it was Jeongnyeon, not her, who had made the real sound on stage, and Joo-ran blamed herself, thinking that Jeongnyeon had overworked herself because of the wounds she had given her. Ok-kyung (played by Jung Eun-chae) was also in pain. Ok-kyung shuddered at the despair of seeing her talent, Jeong-nyeon, who would save her from her terrible mannerism, fall before her eyes, and the fact that it was her partner Hye-rang (played by Kim Yoon-hye) who created this situation, and Hye-rang who only became more obsessed without understanding her suffering at all.

That day, Yeong-seo learned a shocking truth. Her mother Ki-ju (played by Jang Hye-jin) bribed the judges in order to pass her audition. Ki-ju tried to transfer Yeong-seo to the National Theater Company of Korea as soon as the performance of ‘The Fool and the Princess’ ended. Yeong-seo rebelled against Ki-ju for the first time, declaring that she would stay in Mae-ran, saying, “I have never lived as myself before. From now on, I will live as Heo Yeong-seo, not Han Ki-ju‘s daughter”. Yeong-seo then went to see the director So-bok (played by Ra Mi-ran) and told her about her mother’s misconduct, declaring her intention to leave ‘The Fool and the Princess’. Here, Sobok informs that all the judges, including herself, have chosen Yeongseo, and criticizes Kijoo for being foolish in not discovering Yeongseo‘s potential because she was too busy keeping an eye on other people’s daughters. She also consoles Yeongseo by saying, “Don‘t be foolish like your mother. Don’t underestimate your own worth,” and helps her calm down.

Jeongnyeon recovered from her injuries at the hospital, but her voice could not recover. However, Jeongnyeon, who did not give up hope, returned to Maeran, vowing to find a way to get her voice back. Jeongnyeon was briefly excited by the welcome from her peers, but she could not hide her bitterness at Juran‘s actions, who was reluctant to even meet her face because she felt sorry for her. Then, Jeongnyeon, who faced Yeongseo, said, “I did my best that day and failed,” and accepted the audition results, cheering for Yeongseo’s future.

Soon, the practice for ‘The Fool and the Princess’ began. Since the Maeran Gukgeuk Troupe took all the main roles, there was a lot of criticism from other women‘s gukgeuk troupes. In the end, Geum-ju (played by Song Ji-oh) of the ‘Our Sound Gugak Troupe’ showed her opposition by ignoring So-bok’s direction and insisting on her own character interpretation, and Jeong Nam-hee (played by Woo Mi-hwa), the leader of the Our Sound Gugak Troupe, also brought up Geum-ju‘s rebellion and expressed her dissatisfaction with So-bok’s way of leading the joint performance, creating a tense atmosphere like ice.

In the midst of the chaos of the war of nerves between the gukgeuk troupes, Jeong-nyeon struggled alone to get her voice back, visiting the doctor Yong-ha in every way she could. Jeong-nyeon, who was desperate to grab onto even a straw, was briefly shaken by the doctor‘s suggestion of opium. So-bok, who watched with pity as Jeong-nyeon refused to admit that her neck was broken and kept talking nonsense, helped Jeong-nyeon get examined by a doctor with the highest authority in the field. But even the best doctor told Jeong-nyeon that she had to give up her singing. Jeong-nyeon’s last lifeline had been cut off. Jeong-nyeon, who had to face the fate of a singer who had lost her singing like her mother Yong-rye (played by Moon So-ri), struggled with the difficult reality and eventually left Maeran and returned to her hometown Mokpo.

Mother Yong-rye and older sister Jeong-ja (played by Oh Kyung-hwa) simply held Jeong-nyeon, who returned covered in wounds. Yong-rye, who also had the same pain as Jeong-nyeon, said, “As you live, you will survive. So don‘t keep looking back at the place you left behind, and live only looking forward. That’s how you will endure,” and Jeong-nyeon secretly swallowed her tears. Jeong-nyeon returned to her past life of selling fish at the market and worked day and night to forget her worries, but there was no way to soothe the anger and sadness that would surge up from time to time. On the day when Jeongnyeon heard the market merchant humming and returned home, she was unable to calm down and ran into the ocean, throwing herself into the vast sea, shocking everyone who saw her.

Jeongnyeon‘s absence also had a big impact on Maeran. Cho-rok (played by Hyun Seung-hee) exposed Hye-rang’s misdeeds, which she had kept quiet about, to So-bok. So-bok, who found out that Hye-rang was the one who ruined Jeongnyeon, told Hye-rang to leave Maeran after the performance of ‘The Fool and the Princess’. On the other hand, Yeong-seo and Ju-ran endured their loss with tears, feeling depressed at the shadow of Jeongnyeon that suddenly came to mind.

In the midst of all this, Ok-kyung‘s opium scandal broke out. The investors in the joint performance were furious, demanding to recover their investment, and Ok-kyung claimed her innocence, but even the joint performance team distrusted Ok-kyung, and the atmosphere became chaotic. If this performance was not a success, Maeran could collapse. So-bok, who ordered Ok-kyung to hold an emergency press conference, made a bold move to Nam-hee, who was boycotting the joint performance, saying, “If there is a deficit in this performance, Mae-ran will take responsibility for all the deficit.” This was because she judged that if they could not protect Ok-kyung, the “face of women’s national theater,” women‘s national theater itself could be in danger.

However, Ok-kyung’s actions at the end of the play were even more shocking. When Yeong-seo showed extraordinary respect to Ok-kyung who had returned to Mae-ran after finishing the press conference refuting the opium scandal, Ok-kyung suddenly made an inexplicable suggestion, “If I ask you to leave this national theater troupe, will you go with me?” In this way, as Jeongnyeon-i leaves Maeran and Maerans, a crisis as thin as ice and changes are coming, attention is focused on what will become of Jeongnyeon-i and Maeran, who are on the edge of a cliff.

tvN‘s new Saturday-Sunday drama ’Jeongnyeon-i’ is a drama that depicts the competition, solidarity, and brilliant growth period surrounding ‘natural vocal genius’ Jeongnyeon-i, who challenges to become the best national theater actor after the Korean War in the 1950s. Episode 10 airs tonight (the 10th) at 9:20 PM.

Photo=Provided by tvN

Lee Seul-bi, Donga.com reporter misty82@donga.com