In Episode 1 of Face Me, KSH Cosmetics, a prestigious brand, unveils its new beauty center with Dr. Cha Jeong-woo, their star plastic surgeon, at the helm. We first meet Dr. Cha as he rejects a patient’s request for reconstructive surgery, sparking outrage from the patient’s guardian.
The story then takes us to Dr. Jeong-woo in the operating room, performing a delicate contouring procedure. Suddenly, the police barge in, led by the patient’s guardian, demanding he stop the surgery. Jeong-woo remains unyielding, fully focused on his work, projecting an aura of unbreakable commitment to his craft.
Meanwhile, we meet Lee Min-hyung, a fearless police officer who has just arrested a woman accused of scamming men by altering her appearance with plastic surgery. Their paths cross at a club as they both become entangled in a new case involving Kim Da-hye, a young woman desperate to change her face beyond recognition. Jeong-woo senses something is amiss and advises Da-hye to reconsider.
On her way out, Da-hye is attacked by her abusive boyfriend, who shatters a glass bottle to injure her face. Jeong-woo is called for emergency reconstructive surgery while Min-hyung launches an investigation. The boyfriend tries to paint the attack as self-defense, citing CCTV footage of him stumbling, but the evidence remains murky.
Following her discharge, Min-hyung approaches Jeong-woo, seeking his expertise to prove that Da-hye’s injuries were no accident. Jeong-woo, however, insists she return with a warrant, holding firm on patient confidentiality.
Just as Min-hyung leaves the hospital, Da-hye is abducted by her boyfriend. Min-hyung quickly requests backup and commandeers Jeong-woo’s car for a high-stakes pursuit. During the tense ride, Da-hye secretly records her boyfriend’s confession of abuse—a small victory stemming from Jeong-woo’s earlier encouragement to stand up for herself. In a final confrontation, Min-hyung captures the boyfriend, arresting him on charges of assault and stalking.
Through flashbacks, we glimpse Jeong-woo’s own painful memories, hinting at a past tragedy involving his fiancée, who died in a car accident on the way to meet him.
The episode also revisits the case of a previous patient, whose mother objected to surgery after her daughter lost her twin sister, hoping surgery would help them both find closure. The episode ends on a somber note, as the father of a past patient whom Jeong-woo refused to treat takes his own life, just as Jeong-woo prepares for a high-profile interview about Da-hye’s case.
Episode 2 of Face Me picks up from where we left off, revealing the bloody scene of Jeong-woo’s fiancée in their apartment, hinting at the deep trauma he carries. The aftermath of his refusal to perform a reconstructive surgery on a patient leads to a public outcry, with accusations and a suicide attempt tarnishing his reputation.
As a result, the hospital sees a sharp decline in appointments, with cancellations piling up. To restore the brand’s image, the chief director of KSH Cosmetics stages a press conference, forcing Jeong-woo to attend. He announces that the controversial surgery was part of a charity initiative where the brand provides free surgeries to victims of crime, attempting to shift the narrative in the company’s favor.
Meanwhile, Min-hyung is investigating the suicide of the father of a previous patient. He discovers that the man had been seeking consultations for his daughter’s burn scars, raising suspicions about the connection between the suicide and the ongoing medical situation. Later, the daughter reveals that the scars were caused by her father’s alcoholism after her mother left them, and she expresses a desire to put the case behind her as quickly as possible.
A new case soon unfolds involving Yoo Min-soo, a man accused of sexual harassment. The police find him bleeding from a cut on his face, and his story is that he was attacked by a woman in the bathroom of an internet café. Min-soo is brought to Jeong-woo’s clinic for treatment, and after stitching him up, Jeong-woo notices something off about him. He arranges for additional surgery to help with the discomfort Min-soo is experiencing. Meanwhile, Min-hyung notices bloodstains on the boyfriend’s shoes, who had claimed to have arrived after his girlfriend defended herself with a knife against Min-soo’s alleged harassment.
At the hospital, the truth comes out: Min-soo is actually a trans woman undergoing a gender transition, which complicates matters. Due to medical confidentiality, Min-hyung cannot access Min-soo’s records but follows the trail of bloodstains on the boyfriend’s shoes. With his partner, Min-hyung chases the boyfriend down and finally arrests him. Jeong-woo helps by pointing out that whoever attacked Min-soo would need to be taller than him, a crucial detail that turns the case in their favor.
The truth behind the incident is finally revealed: the boyfriend had lost game due to Min-soo, who was cleaning a food stain at the café. This angered him, and in a fit of rage, he dragged Min-soo into the bathroom, attacked him with a knife, and fabricated a story with his girlfriend to cover it up.
Later, Min-soo thanks Jeong-woo and promises to return for breast implant surgery, expressing gratitude for his help. In a twist, Min-hyung learns from a neighbor that a man wearing taped shoes was seen near the scene of the father’s suicide. They suspect this man holds a grudge against Jeong-woo. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, as Jeong-woo is suddenly pursued by a suspicious figure, and a car speeds toward him, leaving his fate uncertain.
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