Dong-ju's primary concern upon the boy regaining consciousness is whether his old memories have returned. Dong-ju is fully aware of his grave mistake and feels obligated to reveal the truth, regardless of whether he remembers anything or not. Simultaneously, as the murder cases and missing persons investigations progress, the similarities between them intensify, leading to a growing momentum. However, Dong-ju has no idea how this would affect him.

Hyun-soo suggests putting up a banner to look for Kang-san’s family. Kang-san gets discharged from the hospital and decides to stay at Dong-ju’s place. While inspecting the site of the accident, Kang-san sees a boy and follows him. Kang-san finds out that the boy has been abused by his mother. Meanwhile, Hyun-soo visits Dong-ju at his place and asks what motivated him to write the novel.

Hyun-soo tells Dong-ju that the murders in his novel are happening in real life. Dong-ju thinks Hyun-soo’s claim is outrageous, but he finds out that she is right. But Dong-ju doesn't report it to the police because he's afraid of losing the luxury he's enjoying. Meanwhile, Byung-man visits Assemblyman Byun and asks about the murder case from 27 years ago.

Dong-ju visits his old high school’s principal and sees a photo of a man who looks exactly like Ki-jeok. He asks around and finds out that the man in the photo is Lee Kang-san who went missing in 1995 with his brother, Lee Ha-neul. Meanwhile, Ki-jeok tells Dong-ju that his memories are coming back and that he remembers meeting Dong-ju’s father.

Dong-ju realizes the connection Ki-jeok has with his dad. No Young-nam kidnaps Assemblyman Byun’s daughter and demands the assemblyman to confess that he tortured him 27 years ago. Assemblyman Byun’s daughter coincidentally passes by Ki-jeok, and Ki-jeok realizes that she needs help. When Dong-ju faces No Young-nam, he asks Dong-ju to save him.

Dong-ju realizes that the videotape No Myung-nam mentioned could be important evidence, so he looks for it. Ki-jeok visits Woo-jung's cafe and sees the photo of Kang-san, which brings back some of his memories. Meanwhile, during Dong-ju’s book signing event, a mysterious man drops by and leaves him a note.

Ki-jeok calls Hyun-soo and asks her to find his family with his real name, Lee Kang-san. He then meets Woo-jung and asks her about his brother. During police interrogation, No Myung-nam has a panic attack and passes out. Meanwhile, Dong-ju finally meets Lee Tae-man and talks about his novel.

Kang-san persists in probing Dong-ju's awareness of his identity, raising tough questions about when and how he became aware. Although Dong-ju acknowledges his mistakes, he also believes that certain things are best left unspoken. As a result, he resorts to a convenient truth. Meanwhile, Dong-ju is confronted with plagiarism allegations concerning his best-selling novel, and he may have to shoulder the blame alone if things turn against him.

The discovery of skeletal remains and a student card with Lee Ha-neul's name at Sopyung Lake marks a significant shift in the investigation. Kang-san is heartbroken, fearing the loss of his brother. Meanwhile, Hye-kyung becomes suspicious of Tae-man's attention towards the boy living with Dong-ju. Acting as if she is unfamiliar with the boy, Hye-kyung accepts Kang-san's picture from Tae-man but immediately visits Dong-ju's house, bringing a mysterious gift.