Episode 10 of "Beyond the Bar" kicks off with a harrowing scene: Choi So-yun, a woman, is ambushed from behind and struck with a rock by Kim Yeong-mi, leaving her lying there, seemingly lifeless. Grasping the blood-stained rock, Yeong-mi flees the scene in her truck. Her hands tremble uncontrollably as she chain-smokes, the bloodied cigarette butts flying out of the window in a frenetic haze. Eventually, she collects herself and steers the truck back. However, in a tragic twist of fate, as she reaches for her lighter, her gaze drifts from the road. In that moment of distraction, she collides with Choi So-yun, who had somehow managed to stagger onto the roadway, resulting in Choi's untimely death.
Meanwhile, at Yullim, Hyo-min gets a call from Detective Han. Yeong-mi has requested Hyo-min to be her legal representative, citing a past connection between them. Yet, Hyo-min is at a loss, unable to recall who Yeong-mi is.
Against her better judgment, Hyo-min arrives at the prison, where Yeong-mi meets her with a sneer, mocking Hyo-min's failure to remember their shared history. As it turns out, this entire debacle is, in some way, Hyo-min's doing, though she's baffled as to how. Reluctant to take on the case pro-bono, Hyo-min is also intrigued by the mystery of their connection. In the end, curiosity gets the better of her, and she agrees to represent Yeong-mi.
Back at the office, Jin-woo confides in Seok-hoon about his frustrations. He complains that their team lacks camaraderie and suggests a team dinner, emphasizing that Min-jeong should join this time. Seok-hoon's ears perk up at the mention, and he readily agrees. But as Jin-woo walks away, a sly grin creeps across his face, hinting that he's well aware of Jin-woo's ulterior motives.One person who's definitely not having a pleasant time is Ho-yeon. We got a glimpse of her troubles in the last episode, but this time, her plight is fleshed out in fuller detail. Her mother's current boyfriend has used her name to perpetrate a scam, and now the victim is demanding a staggering 20 million won in damages. The irony is that this amount precisely matches their entire savings, and paying it would leave them completely destitute. While Ho-yeon is eager to use their savings to make the problem disappear, Hyo-min proposes a "tough love" approach towards her mother, who is now facing jail time for the scam. Meanwhile, Seok-hoon, who had helped babysit the twins at the end of the previous episode, also talks to Ho-yeon and hands over some clothes for the little ones.
Seok-hoon further reveals that Yullim offers housing deposit loans to associates at rates significantly lower than the market average. This could be a golden opportunity for Ho-yeon to secure a decent place to live—but only if she becomes an official member of the team and commits to staying.
As for Jin-woo, he seizes the moment with Min-jeong after the team dinner, both of them tipsy from the night's revelry. Back at Min-jeong's apartment, he suggests they take a leap of faith and make a mistake together, while she protests, saying she doesn't deserve him. And just like that, amidst the intoxication and vulnerability, they find themselves locked in a passionate kiss.
The inevitable happens, and they spend the night together. However, in the morning, Min-jeong is nowhere to be found. She's gone to the gym, seeking an outlet to release some of her pent-up stress.
At the prison, we delve deeper into Yeong-mi's past. During her school days, she was subjected to severe bullying by a group led by Choi So-yun. The torment was so extreme that So-yun would stub out cigarettes on her face and beat her mercilessly. As a result, Yeong-mi is plagued by nightly nightmares.
The relentless attacks left Yeong-mi in a state of severe PTSD and nervous breakdown, eventually forcing her to rely on medication to manage the symptoms. Unfortunately, So-yun's mother shows up at the law firm shortly after, attempting to splash Hyo-min with coffee. Seok-hoon, ever the protector, steps in front of Hyo-min and shields her from the onslaught, but the incident causes a major commotion in the main lobby.
The sight of this woman jogging stirs Hyo-min's memory, as it appears she attended the same school and was a witness to So-yun's bullying. For the most part, she chose to stay out of it. In fact, Yeong-mi had also changed her name, which is why Hyo-min failed to recognize her at first. The girl's real name was actually Kim So-yun, but she changed it after the harrowing bullying incident. It seems that So-yun harbored no deeper grudge other than a sheer desire to inflict as much cruelty as possible on the girl. Now, Yeong-mi pleads with Hyo-min to defend her, arguing that bystanders are equally culpable because their silence amounts to tacit acceptance in the face of such atrocities. Facing a lengthy prison sentence unless someone comes to her aid, Yeong-mi puts Hyo-min in a difficult predicament.
Back in 2013, when all these events began to unfold, Hyo-min was dropped off at school, only for her mother to witness the bullying firsthand, complete with videos and pictures documenting the horrific acts perpetrated by So-yun. Hyo-min's mother paid a visit to So-yun's mother, convening the school violence committee and vowing that every perpetrator would be expelled. She also threatened to file criminal charges and pursue a civil claim for damages. However, So-yun's mother exploited the notion that Hyo-min was no longer a top student to pressure her into turning a blind eye.
To make matters worse, So-yun's father was the head of the school board at the time, making So-yun's expulsion an impossibility. Not long after, So-yun departed to study in the United States, and Yeong-mi dropped out of school.
Armed with all these details, Hyo-min presents her case in court. She specifically highlights the distinction between the intent to kill and the actual fatal blow. The two separate incidents serve as the crux of her argument, suggesting that the first should be viewed as assault and the second as death by traffic accident.
Should the court find Yeong-mi not guilty of murder, the prosecution intends to amend the charges to attempted murder and injury resulting in death as alternative counts. There will also be charges of assault and death under the Special Traffic Act.
Meanwhile, Na-yeon discovers that Mr. Ko has been orchestrating the entire messy company acquisition involving Bluestone and Hynic Core, essentially acting as a rainmaker and reaping profits from this shady deal. It appears to be part of an OEM, a fund plagued by improper investor intervention.
However, Ko Seung-cheol is no fool, and it seems he has covered his tracks quite thoroughly.
As for Na-yeon, she finds herself entangled in a web of deceit, ultimately sleeping with Choi Yun-geon. This whole charade is, undoubtedly, a meticulously orchestrated scheme by the seniors, with Mr. Ha at the helm. However, Na-yeon is not entirely in the dark about this; she's been forewarned by Seok-hoon. Yet, she's treading on perilous ground, flirting with danger at every turn.
Switching gears to the courtroom drama, Hyo-min unleashes her own secret weapon: So-yun's glaring disregard for traffic laws, encompassing a litany of offenses including jaywalking. To be precise, So-yun has racked up 12 traffic violations in the past three years alone and has even been struck by a vehicle before. This particular incident is bolstered by the testimony of none other than So-yun's own mother, who steps forward to lend her voice to Hyo-min's cause. With So-yun's prior records revealing a staggering 34 instances of illegal road-crossing over the past six months, each time exiting the same bar, the tide begins to turn in Hyo-min's favor.
In her closing argument, Hyo-min openly acknowledges her deep involvement in the case, tracing back to her days as a silent witness to the school bullying that plagued their childhood. She presents video evidence, aiming to rattle Yeong-mi's composure and expose the psychological scars inflicted over the years. To further drive home her point, Hyo-min displays photographs of Yeong-mi before the bullying, starkly contrasting her former self with the damaged soul she has become. All these efforts are geared towards rehabilitating Yeong-mi rather than meting out harsh punishment.
Yeong-mi, too, delivers a final statement, admitting her transgressions and accepting whatever consequences may come her way.
The verdict is finally rendered, and Yeong-mi is sentenced to two years behind bars. It's not a life sentence, nor does it consume a significant portion of her existence, and it could have been far worse. This ruling effectively brings the case to a close (and concludes the episode, save for a late-night rooftop rendezvous between Seok-hoon and Hyo-min!).
