某金属生产线上集中着200多名贫苦的劳动者。一天，碳灶班来了一个名叫朱完益的新人，伙伴们用米酒欢迎他。同在碳灶班的韩洙十分希望能够有朝一日摆脱贫困的境地，并一定要通过工作和节省成为一名真正的富人。然而，工厂却风雨飘摇，随时会爆发一场运动……

After the Gwangju Uprising and Democratization Movements was subdued with force, Jong-su goes to Dongducheon in search for his childhood friend Tae-ho, in order to escape the investigation of the dictatorial regime. He is a student of Chonnam National University and a teacher at a night school, and he is wanted for participating in the Gwangju Uprising and Democratization Movements. Tae-ho works at a snack bar in a U.S. military base, but his main income is derived from selling American goods to Koreans. Jong-su finds it difficult to live with his friend whose life goal is to earn enough money to immigrate to the U.S., and the rough prostitutes who sell their bodies to American soldiers. He also struggles daily with the painful memories of the Gwangju Uprising. Jong-su remembers Gu-chil, a shoeshine boy he met at night school who contrasted so much with Tae-ho, who is willing to put American military goods on the black market to reach his goal of immigrating to the U.S., and the prostitutes around the military base who thought that if they could marry an American soldier and go to the U.S., it would be the beginning of a whole new life for them. Unlike Tae-ho and the prostitutes who wanted to escape to the U.S., Gu-chil joined the Democratization Movements with Jong-su and fought to the end, hoping for democratization to finally come true. Jong-su’s memories alienate him from reality and his agonies give pain to the people around him. Tae-ho, whose goal is to make money and immigrate to the U.S., is betrayed by Steve, a soldier with whom he was doing business and loses everything he has. Jenny, who cherishes the hope of living with Steve, is also betrayed and kills herself. Despite Tae-ho’s rage and Jong-su’s despair, they are unable to do anything but repress their emotions and return to their everyday lives

金邦树（任昌丁 饰）是一名交通警察，一场意外让他同名叫如竹（高素荣 饰）的女子相识了，两人很快就成为了无话不谈的好友。金邦树告诉如竹，自己真实的梦想是能够成为一名棒球裁判，而如竹以坦言她的梦想是进入演艺圈。随着时间的推移，金邦树渐渐爱上了单纯善良的如竹，但如竹却碍于现实，拒绝了他。
多年以后，金邦树终于不辱梦想以裁判的身份站在了棒球场上，而彼时如竹亦奋斗在摄影棚中，挥洒着努力和汗水。当金邦树在电视上意外看到如竹的身影之时，他发现自己心底对她的感情依旧如此热烈。在一场球赛中，金邦树和如竹重逢了，然而在喜悦的背后，却荡漾着物是人非的伤感和遗憾。