Chief Hyun’s selfish actions have led to Geon-oh’s death, and his suicide note, along with a partial confession coerced from Byung-mu, uncovers more crucial pieces of the puzzle.
It turns out Geon-oh had returned to the warehouse shortly after Byung-mu and Min-soo assaulted Bo-young. In his shock over what his so-called “friends” had done, he inadvertently startled her, causing her to flee down the stairs, where she tripped and hit her head.
Geon-oh attempted to call for help, but the others stopped him. A fourth person interrupted them, though the full details of that moment remain hidden. However, we do learn that Chief Hyun appeared at the warehouse that night, and Geon-oh’s note implores him to finally come clean.
While Chief Hyun grapples with the devastating consequences of his decisions, Na-kyeom reveals the truth to Bo-young’s parents about Byung-mu and Min-soo. Interestingly, she tells them that enough evidence has been found to convict both men of assault and murder. Her tears, however, soon give way to a smug smile after the parents rush off to confirm the news.
Meanwhile, as the police race to the warehouse, Chief Hyun’s right-hand man, Kim Hee-do stays behind to “clear things up.” Despite his seemingly ambiguous role, it becomes clear that he knows the truth and is actively covering for Chief Hyun. He bends over backward to frame Jung-woo for the murder, insisting there’s no need to reopen the case. Worse still, he audaciously claims that the assault on Bo-young was consensual. Her parents, unsurprisingly, do not take this news well, especially after hearing similar excuses from Byung-mu and Min-soo’s fathers.
Those two fathers, meanwhile, spend much of their time groveling. Even at Geon-oh’s funeral, they beg Chief Hyun to go easy on their sons and attempt to bribe Dong-min into accepting compensation instead of pushing for a deeper investigation. Although Dong-min eventually agrees, he later lashes out at Jae-hee when she accuses him of profiting from their daughter’s death.
Chief Hyun is disgusted by the fathers’ audacity but finds himself pressured by Assemblywoman Ye, who insists he must not let the case resurface in the media. It turns out this isn’t their first discussion about the matter — she had previously instructed Chief Hyun to quietly close Jung-woo’s case. Following these events, after Byung-mu and Min-soo are released, Chief Hyun takes Min-soo on a drive to a remote location, threatening him to throw Byung-mu under the bus.
Meanwhile, Jung-woo spends most of the episode unconscious in the hospital, having been hit by a car while chasing down Geon-oh for answers. When he wakes, Sang-cheol delivers the news of Geon-oh’s death, doing his best to soften the blow, though his efforts are far from gentle. Thankfully, he stops Jung-woo from doing something reckless.
Sang-cheol offers Jung-woo a place to stay, covers his hospital bill, and gives him fresh clothes. Together, they begin re-examining the hurried investigation from eleven years ago. They quickly identify three key pieces of evidence: first, none of the boys present that night could drive, meaning someone else moved Bo-young’s body to the abandoned school. Second, the driver crashed Jung-woo’s car, yet photos of the damage were omitted from the files. Lastly, two shovels were found at the crime scene, though they weren’t in the car earlier and disappeared soon after.
Jung-woo is in the middle of confronting Byung-mu about the identity of the driver when the police arrive to arrest him, thanks to Min-soo’s “confession.” As Byung-mu is dragged away, he shouts that Na-kyeom was the true mastermind. There may be some truth to that, as a flashback reveals Na-kyeom was at the warehouse the night Bo-young died, despite her tearful claims of having gone straight home.
The plot is thickening. What was Na kyeom’s role in all of these? Could she be the ultimate villain? Did she do all of these due to her obsession for Jung woo. We can see that she acts uncomfortable in Ha seol’s presence, probably believing she’s a threat to her relationship with Jung woo. Anyway, we’ll see how things go.