Yeong-il is often attached to Jae-hyun, who always attends to his poetry lectures. Jae-hyun is not interested in poetry, but he doesn't want to miss out on Yeong-il's class. After all, Yeong-il decided to give private lessons to Jae-hyun, who failed to submit his assignments.

After the assassination of President Park, martial law has been declared. A coup d'état bursts out by Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwang and a private band of officers following him. Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-shin, an obstinate soldier who believes the military should not take political actions, fights against Chun Doo-gwang to stop him. The conflict between the two grows while military leaders are holding their decision and Defense Minister is gone. In the midst of chaos, the spring of Seoul that everyone longed for heads to unexpected direction.

Chilsung School is for troubled kids. One day, a strange and bleak mood surrounds the school. The teachers turn into zombies. The kids must struggle to stay alive.

Kang-wook, a law student at Seoul National University, finds himself in a tight spot financially after losing contact with his family in North Korea. He sells his own blood at a hospital to make ends meet, and there he meets and grows close to nurse Jin-young. As Kang-wook faces financial difficulties, Ki-yong, a son of a landlord's agent, appears and tricks Kang-wook into joining left-wing activities. Ki-yong's true identity is revealed by Yoon-ae, a friend from hometown, leading to his arrest. Meanwhile, Kang-wook and Jin-young marry with the blessings of Professor Park and their friends, while Kang-wook's friend Do-hyeon struggles to hide his feelings for Jin-young. Their sweet days together come to an end with the outbreak of the Korean War, separating them. Jin-young, unable to wait for Kang-wook any longer, decides to flee the war with Do-hyeon. Kang-wook, hiding at Yoon-ae's house, is eventually arrested by Ki-yong and the leftists, who had been freed from prison.

Middle-aged Yeong-gyeong and Su-hwan meet at the wedding party of a common friend. She passes out drunk, and he carries her home on his back. Soon this becomes a daily ritual, as the two broken beings – one’s spirit consumed by alcohol and the other’s body sapped by arthritis – begin to find strength and solace in each other. Their gentle, platonic bond – outside society, outside history – offers a chance at salvation, but is severely stressed by Yeong-gyeong’s repeated relapses.

After losing his only son, Old Kim establishes Haksagol, an all-male boarding house. Admission requires a strict exam and interview, and anyone who breaks its ten rules—such as bans on drinking or protests—is immediately expelled. This year’s top entrant, Jin-young, is secretly a female law student disguised as a man. As she struggles to hide her identity, unforeseen events begin to shake the foundations of Haksagol.