Watermelon - Twinkling

Unlike traditional disability narratives that focus on the struggles of the disabled individual, Twinkling Watermelon focuses on the family unit. It explores the concept of "parentification," where a child (Eun-gyeol) is forced to grow up too fast to act as an interpreter and advocate for his parents. It asks the poignant question: When you are the bridge for your family, who builds a bridge for you? [citation:2][citation:8].

Word spreads quietly. Neighbors come to listen; those who touch the watermelon remember a single clear image—a bluebird, a childhood rain, a closed-up seaside. Each person’s memory is different, and each memory leaves a faint imprint of color on the flesh, like fingerprints of light. The stall becomes a ledger of small, communal recollections.

The story centers on Ha Eun-gyeol, a high school student living in 2023. On the surface, Eun-gyeol is a model student—polite, studious, and obedient. However, he harbors a secret passion: he is a remarkably talented guitarist who plays in a band. This double life is complicated by his family situation. Eun-gyeol is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) . His entire family—his father, mother, and older brother—are deaf, making him the sole bridge between their silent world and the hearing world[citation:1][citation:2]. Twinkling Watermelon

Eun-gyeol’s father, Ha Yi-chan, is a man who lost his hearing due to a tragic accident in his youth. He dreams of his son becoming a doctor, a stable and respectable profession, and strongly disapproves of his musical ambitions. After a heated argument with his father, an emotionally devastated Eun-gyeol wanders into a mysterious, old-fashioned music store called "Viva Music." There, he is magically transported back in time to the year 1995[citation:3][citation:4].

Thrust into a vibrant and unfamiliar era, Eun-gyeol is shocked to meet an 18-year-old version of his father, Ha Yi-chan, who is not only loud, passionate, and full of life but can also hear perfectly. Yi-chan is a charismatic and mischievous high school student with a dream of starting a rock band[citation:1][citation:6]. Unlike traditional disability narratives that focus on the

Desperate to protect his father’s future and ensure his own existence, Eun-gyeol embeds himself into Yi-chan’s life. He poses as a mysterious, cool guitarist named "Dong-jin" and helps his father form a band to pursue his musical dreams. The band is named "Watermelon Sugar" —a nod to the drama’s title—and includes a quirky ensemble of friends: a genius bassist, a hot-tempered drummer, and a classical pianist[citation:1][citation:6].

However, the 1995 timeline is more complicated than Eun-gyeol anticipated. He also meets his mother, Yoon Cheong-ah (played by Shin Eun-soo), who is a young, aloof, and artistically gifted teenager living as a deaf person in a world that does not accommodate her. She is drawn to the music she cannot hear, often painting to the vibrations of the band’s performances. In a twist of fate, Eun-gyeol also encounters Choi Se-kyung (played by Seol In-ah), the "Cello Goddess" of the arts high school, who is the first love of his 18-year-old father[citation:1]. Control: Over several evenings, Mira learns to shape

What Eun-gyeol doesn’t know initially is that he isn’t the only time traveler. Se-kyung is secretly On Eun-yoo, Se-kyung’s unhappy daughter from the future, who has traveled back in time to prevent her mother from meeting her father—a mission that would ironically erase Eun-gyeol’s own existence[citation:6][citation:7].

As "Watermelon Sugar" practices for a youth festival, Eun-gyeol finds himself in a desperate race against time. He must navigate the budding romance between his father and the wrong girl, protect his lonely mother from her abusive stepfamily, and prevent the mysterious accident that will rob his father of his hearing—all while falling in love with a girl who is technically his future aunt.

In the sleepy, coastal town of Bellview, the summer heat is relentless, and the days blend together. Leo, a 19-year-old guitarist with a rare form of synesthesia (where he sees sounds as colors and lights), feels trapped. He dropped out of music school because the noise of the city was blindingly bright. He came to Bellview for silence, but he found only boredom.

That is until he finds the "Twinkling Watermelon" stand.