Soo Hyun is shocked as she asks Ga-on why he is here. Yo Han tells her that Cha killed herself. Ga-on feels mortified as he faces Soo Hyun. Yo Han says they came here to question Cha but they found her dead. He asks if she is going to arrest them. Soo Hyun asks both of them to get out. Yo Han drags Ga-on out of the office.
After they leave, Soo Hyun cries as she brings herself to wipe away any evidence of their presence at the scene. She then reports the suicide and calls for backup.
Meanwhile, Heo learns of Cha’s suicide. He tells his men to retrieve the file Cha had on him.
Ga-on sits beside Yo Han who is driving back. Ga-on looks at his bloodied hands.
The next day, the news reports that Cha committed suicide. Ga-On asks Yo Han if he is relieved now. Yo Han cautions Ga-on to mind his words. He says he knows Ga-on is shocked. He says it has already happened and asks him to forget about it. Ga-on looks at him in disbelief as Yo Han says they should focus on the next plan. Yo Han says Heo would have surely got his hands on the file Cha had on him.
Heo has Cha’s smoked cigar in front of him. He takes the memory chip containing the file out of the cigar.
Ga-on goes to meet Soo Hyun. She slaps him and tells him she had to tamper with the crime scene for him. She asks how he could do this to her. Ga-on says he is sorry. She asks what Kang Yo Han and he is up to. She tells him not to see her again.
Yo Han is in his office. Sun-A calls him up and says Cha is gone. Yo Han thanks her for it. Sun-A promises to suggest Yo Han as the next Presidential Candidate to the old men at the Foundation. Yo Han asks if she can make him the Executive Director of the Foundation. She tells him not to get greedy.
Yo Han hangs up and calls K. He tells him to find Ga-on and bring him. He says Ga-on would be out of his mind right now.
Yo Han comes to the parking lot and he finds Soo Hyun waiting for him. Yo Han says she took care of Cha’s case with her own hands. He asks why she is here.
He gets into the car but she comes over and stands next to his car. He lowers the window and glares at her. She tells him to stop what he is doing or she threatens to arrest him.
Yo Han tries to drive away but she holds the window. he stops the car. Her eyes are teary as she asks him to leave Ga-on out of this. She asks him not to shake Ga-on up. He tells her to let go and she obliges. She cries as he drives away.
Ga-on is at a roadside bar. He gets drunk. A few people walk up to him. They want pictures with him. Ga-on is about to attack them. K finds him and takes him away.
Ga-on asks if Yo Han asked K to keep him out of trouble. K apologises if Ga-on feels offended. He says Cha was punished for her crimes but he doesn’t feel anything and revenge is futile. K says he has nothing to lose so he is able to assist Yo Han. He tells Ga-on to not get involved because he will lose everything (including himself) if he works with Yo Han.
Ga-on comes back home to Yo Han’s house. Yo Han is furious that Ga-on met Soo Hyun. Ga-on asks if Yo Han is worried if he told Soo Hyun of Yo Han’s plans. Yo Han slams the book on the table asking if this seems like a joke to Ga-on. He asks how long he should put up with Ga-on’s little games.
Ga-on says he put everything on the line. He says the first thought after seeing Cha dead was to search for the file immediately. Ga-on wonders what kind of a monster he is turning into.
Yo Han puts his hand on Ga-on’s shoulder. He says he knows it is hard but they have no choice. He says Ga-on is aware of the people they are up against and they have no idea what those people will do next. Yo Han says Soo Hyun threatened to arrest him. He tells Ga-on should cut Soo Hyun from his life if he wants to save the world. He says Ga-on cant help Yo Han and have Soo Hyun at the same time.
Ga-on removes Yo Han’s hand from his shoulder. He tells Yo Han that Soo Hyun is his world and walks away. Ga-on walks out of the office and doesn’t speak to Elijah who is watching.
Elijah follows Ga-on into his room. She asks if he is leaving because of fighting with Yo Han. He says he has his own home. She objects saying that it is sudden. She says this house is safer from people like Jukchang as it is equipped with CCTV and alarm systems. Ga-on apologises to Elijah saying that he couldn’t stay with her till the end. He invites her to come over to his house for some home-cooked meals. Elijah tears up as she asks how she can go when she is like this.
Yo Han is disturbed as he sits in the study.
Ga-on stands in the driveway looking at the house. His voiceover says, “I don’t believe in deities, but that night I prayed to someone. I prayed that everyone in this home could have a night where there are no tears or nightmares.” Ga-on walks away.
Elijah goes to Yo Han and demands to know why he let Ga-on go. Yo Han says it is Ga-on’s choice to leave. She says he can’t let him go after making him do dangerous things.
Yo Han asks her when she was bothered about others. He reminds her that Ga-on is not her father. He says she will be hurt if she thinks that way.
Later, Yo Han knocks on Elijah’s door. He says he was too harsh earlier. Elijah doesn’t open the door and asks why he is behaving out of character by apologising. She tells him to act like he always does and asks him to get lost. Yo Han gives up.
Elijah goes to her room and looks at the portrait she drew of Ga-on and cries herself to sleep.
Sun-A has a discussion with the members of the Foundation. They are happy as she removed Cha from the equation. She says she had to protect the Foundation. Park and Min call each other out for having Dominican Republic Passports.
Heo says their next step should be Kang Yo Han. Sun-A says they should work together with Yo Han as he has grown a lot in popularity. She says he has already expressed interest in becoming the President.
Sun -A suggests that Yo Han can replace Cha as the Presidential Candidate. Heo objects to this instantly. He says he doesn’t intend to lose this election.
Heo asks if there is a need for an election. Sun-A sees that both Par and Min aren’t objecting. They say that democracy is a luxury when the country is in a crisis. Sun-A asks what is the crisis and Heo asks if he should cause more trouble.
She says Yo Han is worth keeping around for use instead of eliminating him. Heo says she is dancing to Yo Han’s tune because Sun-A would have slept with Yo Han.
Sun-A asks him what he is going on about. Heo immediately says it is a joke. Heo says Cha threatened to give Yo Han the file she had on everyone. Heo tells her to get a grip as Yo Han wants to bring everyone down including her. He tells her not to act like a madwoman in heat because she can’t get enough of a man. Min laughs as Heo tells Sun-A not to let it get to her head.
Soo Hyun meets with Min at a restaurant. he asks her what is wrong and Soo Hyun starts crying.
Later, Yo Han walks into Min’s office as he wanted to see him. Min asks what Yo han is making Ga-on do. He says Ga-on has been through a lot of suffering. Yo Han says everyone has their lows. Yo Han says Ga-on is no longer a child. Min says he will look into it. Yo Han says Ga-on will be hurt too if Min does that as it is a crime. Min looks puzzled. Yo Han realises that Min has heard this from Soo Hyun and not Ga-on.
Min says Yo Han is putting Ga-on in danger. Yo han says Min was the one who sent Ga-on to work for him. Min is furious as he asks if Yo Han thinks everything he does is just. Yo Han says he is just making choices.
Yo Han says until now he didn’t have many choices in life. He says he had to accept everything or fight everything. Yo Han says Ga-on made his own choices and whether he goes on or not is entirely up to him (Ga-on).
Min says Yo Han thinks he is fighting a monstrous world. Min says if you look into the abyss long enough, the abyss will stare back at you. He tells Yo han to stop ruining the world.
Yo Han says Min has misunderstood the situation. Yo Han says, “I am the abyss”
As he walks out of Min’s office, Yo Han calls up K and tells him to keep an eye on Min and Ga-on.
At night, Yo Han goes for a run. He recalls all the time spent with Ga-on. Yo Han recalls Ga-on saying he understands the anger. He remembers telling Ga-on that he won’t hesitate to get rid of anyone who stands in his way. Ga-on had mentioned he wanted to fight the corrupt world.
Back home, Ji serves him some food that Ga-on had made. She comments that the house feels so empty. She leaves after saying Yo han should have been nicer to Ga-on when he was here. He remembers playing a game of cards with Elijah and Ga-on. Yo Han remembers thinking that he doesn’t care if humanity falls as long as he has Elijah and Ga-on. Yo Han sits alone at the table and eats the meal.
Meanwhile, Ga-on tries calling Yo Han but the calls go unanswered twice.
Soo Hyun goes to the location of the church fire from 10 years ago. She walks up to the place where the church had stood. She finds a burnt bible amidst the ruins.
Later, she meets an old woman who seems to recognise her. Soo Hyun asks if the woman knows the real name of a church worker named Jung Joseph. The woman thinks back.
Meanwhile, K informs Yo Han that Min is up to something as he is meeting with the opposition parties. Yo Han asks K to be ready with a refutal if Min goes to the press. Yo Han guesses that Jukchang ran away. K confirms it. He says the police and prosecution aren’t taking any action. Yo Han comments that Heo is not even being cautious anymore. He says Heo is planning something huge and this is just the beginning.
The Chief Prosecutor tells Min they don’t have evidence. Min says they should at least raise their voices so that the next generation can see it.
Min gives a statement at the Press. He says Yo Han is stirring up violence in the country. He cites the previous case and says the trials are not thorough. He says it is filled with surprise disclosures and don’t have clear evidence nor are they careful processes. He says this isn’t justice. Min says he will put his job on the line as he requests the live court show to be dissolved. He says Kang Yo han should step down.
Heo celebrates as he sees this on television. He makes a call and tells the person that they have something else to do.
Min comes to work to find a group of protestors asking him to resign. Min is advised to request bodyguards when heading home as the situation is serious. Just then, Min receives a call.
The anonymous caller threatens to harm Min’s wife and child because he requested Yo Han to resign.
Min rushes home flustered. He is on a call with his wife. He does notice a figure come towards him. The figure attacks Min.
At the Supreme court, Ga-on learns that Yo Han’s fanatic fan attacked Min. He immediately rushes to the hospital.
Heo addresses the press. He says this a barbaric behaviour and hopes Min recovers soon. He says it is preposterous for a Judge’s fan to attack a Chief Justice. He wonders if Yo Han should continue as the presiding Judge.
At the hospital, Min says that his family’s personal data has been put up online. He says his daughter cannot go to work peacefully. Min claims this is Yo Han’s doing. Ga-on says Yo Han wouldn’t do that. Min tells Ga-on off for siding with Yo Han. He says he will never forgive Yo Han for this.
Jae-Hee watches K getting information from Soo Hyun’s chief. She reports to Sun-A that K works for Kang Yo han. She says the Chief obtained Sun-A’s mother’s file for Yo Han. She says K is looking into Sun-A’s father’s and Chairman Seo’s case.
After Jae-hee leaves, Sun-A calls up Heo and agrees to go ahead with his plan. She also asks for a personal favour from Jukchang when he moves forward with the plan. Heo agrees to this.
Sun-A walks to the balcony of her penthouse. She snatches Issac’s chain from her neck and holds it out of the railing. She drops the chain over the railing.
Yo Han wakes up with a start from a nightmare where he sees Ga-on across him in the church. Yo Han walks over to the window with a pained expression. Tears streak down his face.
In the morning, Yo Han is asleep on the chair beside the window. He wakes up as he receives a call from Sun-A. He asks her why she called him so early in the morning. She asks him if he doesn’t have any use for her now that Cha is dead. Yo Han says they should go on seeing each other.
Sun-A asks Yo Han out on a date as she walks to show him something.
Meanwhile, Ga-on receives a call ordering him to come to Hyungsan Dong slum now if he wants to save Min. Ga-on calls Min but the call goes unanswered.
Ga-on rushes over to the slum to find the armed forces and hooligans from the Social Responsibility Foundation beating up the people in the slum.
Meanwhile, Jin-joo goes public with the news that there has been a plague virus outbreak at Hyungsan Dong slum. She requests the people to co-operate with the authorities.
Ga-on watches as the people are thrown into the Social responsibility Foundation’s vehicles and are driven away.
Yo Han walks into an abandoned facility. He looks up at the high ceiling. Sun-A walks in and hugs him from behind. He comments that this is quite a romantic spot for a date.
Yo han notices that Issac’s mother’s chain is not around Sun-A’s neck. Sun-A says it is a precious gift and she has kept it in a safe place. She asks if he is scared of her and he says he isn’t.
She hugs him and says she likes it when he is sweet. Sun-A goes quiet as she asks why he did that. Yo Han smirks as he asks what she is talking about.
Yo Han looks up as he hears K call out to him. Jae-Hee presses a button and the cable lowers K from the ceiling. K yells as she lets him dangle midway.
Sun-A holds a gun at Yo Han’s chest and pushes him away. She tells Yo Han she promised him the world if he waited for 2 years. Yo Han says he doesn’t want much else. Sun-A says even if they throw out current trash, new trash will replace them. Yo Han says leading a group of trash is not his thing.
Sun-A orders Jae-hee to kill K. Yo Han kicks the gun away from Sun-A. Jae-hee shoots Yo Han. Yo Han clutches his abdomen as it bleeds.
Sun-A looks at him and slowly walks up the stairs towards Jae-hee without a second glance. Yo Han looks up at K. K begs Yo Han not to come up.
Meanwhile, at the slum, Ga-on rushes towards the people in an attempt to save them.
Yo Han straightens up and walks up the stairs slowly but steadily. K’s cries telling him not to come echo in his ears.
Ga-on runs through the chaotic scene looking for Professor Min. Jukchang and his men follow Ga-on.
Yo Han reaches the top of the stairs. He finds Sun-A and Jae-Hee waiting for him. Sun-A takes the control button from JaeHee. Yo Han tells her to put it down.
Sun-A tells him that she wants Yo Han to be lonely. She says perhaps he would stay by her side if there was no one by his side.
Yo Han looks at K who frantically shakes his head. Yo Han looks at Sun-A who has her hand on the button.
Ga-on runs over to a van where the authorities are forcefully dragging a woman and children into. He beats up the authorities and saves the woman and children.
Ga-on turns around when he hears his name. He is shocked as he sees Jukchang and his group of thugs running towards Ga-on with wooden clubs.
Meanwhile, Sun-A presses the button and the cable holding K drops him. Yo Han steps forward in reflex but freezes as he hears K land with a thump followed by silence.
Yo Han tells Sun A that he will kill her in a lonely and miserable way. He vows he will do it in a way that will suit Sun-A perfectly. Yo Han lets out a low laugh.
Sun-A smiles as she says, “Goodbye, Young Master.”
Image Courtesy-TVN
Review
This was an intense episode as Kang Yo Han’s side took a big hit.
Ga-on often refers to Soo Hyun as his support system but Soo Hyun is the least supportive and most judgemental character in the drama. It looks like she doesn’t trust Ga-on’s side of the story and she thinks he is capable of murder. She chose to avoid him and left him to face his internal conflicts all alone.
Soo Hyun is an extremely prejudiced character. She seemed very happy with Yo Han when he brought Doh Young Choon to the live hearing. But, she turned hostile when she saw the duo next to Cha’s body. In reality, Cha had committed suicide.
The drama has completed 12 episodes and there seems to be no change in Soo Hyun and Min’s actions. In a plot filled with strong antagonists, they come across as nagging characters who do nothing but get in Yo Han’s way.
Professor Min’s point of view is understandable. The live trial does not follow due process but this doesn’t mean Min’s actions are right.
Professor Min does everything by the book and calls himself righteous and just. He would’ve done better if he had planted Ga-on in the Foundation too instead of going after just Kang Yo Han. Cha and the others were abusing their power long before Yo Han became a judge. I wonder where this sudden sense of justice comes from.
Professor Min is a perfect example to depict why the justice system is non-effective. He is totally blind to the loopholes that the corrupt and powerful use to their advantage. He doesn’t care about the fabrication that goes on behind the trial and is totally fine with it as long as the rulings are by the book.
On the other hand, Ga-on was like a cat on the wall as he has been on both Yo Han’s side and Min’s side. He started doubting if he was becoming inhuman in his thirst for revenge. He was taking time to gauge himself and things spiralled out of control before that. He knows that Yo Han wasn’t the one behind Min’s attack and the attack at the slums.
K mentioned that revenge was futile and he didn’t feel anything after Cha’s death. This goes to show that the only one who matches Yo Han’s thirst for revenge is Sun-A.
This episode saw some big moves from the Foundation’s side. Heo is planning to remove the elections so that he can continue to rule. They also resorted to evicting people from the slum under the pretext of a plague virus so they can acquire the land.
Heo capitalised on the situation by letting Jukchang loose on the streets. He made the attack on Min look like it was by Yo Han’s fan.
Sun-A shifted to a whole new mode of destruction when she learnt that K was still gathering information on her. She made it clear that she wants Yo Han to stay alone. It looks like she is hinting at killing everyone close to Yo Han.
It was interesting how Yo Han used Ga-on’s presence at the crime scene to his advantage against Professor Min and Soo Hyun. Yo Han again underestimated Sun-A and this time it cost him.
Yo Han went through a rough time in this episode both on the emotional and physical front. He clearly missed Ga-on’s presence and Elijah’s laughter in the house. He seems to have changed a lot from what he was at the beginning of the series.
At the moment, it looks like Sun-A has the upper hand. Yo Han vowed to give her a fitting punishment and he always makes good of his word. I am curious to see how Yo Han gathers himself from here and moves ahead with his plan.
-By Soul Sword-
The Writers Room 
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