A story of the enduring quality of female friendship amid a gritty landscape of abuse. 16-year-old Pearl rebels against her abusive father and teachers by smoking, slacking off at school and running with a bad crowd. Yet she is well-adjusted when compared to her fellow delinquents. Her best friend, Jeong-Ae, lives in poverty and is already dabbling in sex work. Pearl and Jeong-Ae run away together, try to get work in a hostess bar, and share a seedy motel room. When they're finally forced to give up, only Pearl has a home left to go back to.
