It’s 1952. Sungmin and Changhee are both thirteen and the best of friends. Their small village in the ‘valley of flowers’ as they call it in a Korean song must, like the rest of the country, face the consequences of the war. An American base is nearby and so the local inhabitants eagerly harass supposed Communist supporters. The hiding place of one suspicious element is discovered; an alleged Communist is dragged from a well and cruelly beaten by his former neighbours. But not everyone is suffering as a result of the war. Sungmin’s sister is going with an American soldier, and this gives the whole family certain privileges. Sungmin’s father even gets work at the base and the family is doing well. In contrast, Changhee’s mother doesn’t even have enough money for bread. One day Sungmin and Changhee are spying on soldiers spending time with local prostitutes. To their great surprise they recognise Changhee’s mother among the women, as well as Sungmin’s father: her pimp. The next day Changee disappears without trace. Sungmin realises that his world has changed forever.