Start-Up

Against his mother Jeong-hye's advice, Taek-il leaves home to chart his own path. He and Sang-pil are caught by the police for riding without a helmet after buying a second-hand motorcycle to fund the GED. The incident sets him on a risky trajectory away from home.

The day after the police incident, Taek-il receives a call from his mother and impulsively heads to Gunsan. He is aimless at first, looking for something to do and ends up at a local Chinese restaurant. The trip marks the start of a new chapter away from family life.

In Gunsan, he stops by a nearby Chinese restaurant to eat and is drawn to the chef, Geo-seok, whose short hair and strong presence trigger a strange energy in Taek-il. He feels drawn toward the world behind the kitchen and the life the restaurant promises. The moment foreshadows his later work there.

Taek-il spots a job posting for a delivery driver at the restaurant and volunteers to work there. The owner recognizes that he is a runaway, warning that Taek-il may not stay long, but gives him a chance anyway. This decision pulls him into a new routine and closer to Geo-seok.

Taek-il begins living at the restaurant owner's house and grows closer to Geo-seok. The living arrangement deepens his immersion in the restaurant world and begins shaping his adult experiences. The boundary between work and home blur as he finds a sense of belonging.

Meanwhile, Sang-pil, who lives with his dementia-stricken grandmother, desperately needs a job. He finds employment in a private loan business with the help of his acquaintance, Dong-hwa Kim. The new line of work exposes him to danger and moral ambiguity.

At first, Sang-pil expects that the lending work will bring quick money with little effort. The reality quickly proves harsher when the pressure and violence of debt collection surface. He starts to see the darker side of adult life.

During a debt collection, Sang-pil visits a butcher's shop and is beaten by the boss. He falls ill afterward and struggles to recover. The incident is a turning point that highlights the peril in their new line of work.

Taek-il learns that his mother Jeong-hye, who had borrowed in order to open a toast shop, is among the clients of the loan company. This revelation ties his family to the world of debt and complicates their relationship. The discovery shifts Taek-il's view of his mother's struggles.

The toast shop Jeong-hye opened using debt is ordered to be demolished for being an illegal building. The looming threat of losing the family business adds pressure to everyone involved. The event underscores the consequences of the debt cycle.

Taek-il learns of the demolition and hurries to the shop, but finds himself helpless against the organized power of loan sharks. His attempts to intervene illustrate the bleak reality of growing up amid crime and debt. The scene marks a turning point in his understanding of responsibility.

The stories of Taek-il, Sang-pil, and their circles reveal the unpredictable ups and downs of becoming adults. They face debt, danger, and difficult choices as they navigate work, family, and independence. The film uses their intertwined struggles to explore resilience and growth.