Episode 9 of *Beyond the Bar* opens with a heart-stopping scene: Kim Byeong-su, a passenger aboard a plane, suddenly collapses. Amidst the rising panic, Dr. Choi, a physician on the flight, steps forward to assist. Yet, as she draws closer, recognition flickers across her face, and her hands hesitate mid-air. This is no ordinary patient. Years ago, in April 2015, Byeong-su had been arrested in Eunseong on harrowing charges—kidnapping and sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl. Dr. Choi had been part of the medical team that treated the young victim, Min-sol, leaving her with a haunting connection to the case.
Fast-forward to 2020, and fate intersects their paths again when Byeong-su is admitted to a hospital where Dr. Choi works. Refusing to treat him, she faces backlash but holds firm. Now, in 2025, history repeats itself in the skies. As Byeong-su collapses before her, Dr. Choi is thrust into a moral quandary: save the life of a man she believes to be irredeemable or adhere to her oath. The scene cuts away before the outcome is revealed, but the aftermath is explosive. Byeong-su dies, and his family erupts in fury, convinced his death was no accident but a deliberate act of retribution. The question lingers: Was it murder, or merely a tragic coincidence?
Meanwhile, back at Yullim Law Firm, Na-yeon wages a quiet revolution, determined to dismantle the entrenched culture of "salary thieves"—partners who profit without merit. She spearheads a radical overhaul of the pay structure, replacing fixed salaries with provisional compensation tied to case intake and performance. Contract renewals hinge solely on annual evaluations, a seismic shift that leaves the firm’s hierarchy reeling.
Amid this upheaval, Hyo-min and Seok-hoon find themselves entangled in Dr. Choi’s crisis when she seeks their legal expertise. The prosecution alleges that her prior remarks at the hospital—veiled threats or frustrated truths?—prove she intentionally let Byeong-su die. As the firm grapples with internal reform, they must now defend a client whose past and present collide in a case that blurs the lines between justice and vengeance.
Seok-hoon doesn't mince words when he asks Dr. Choi point-blank if she was the one who killed the man. But she stands her ground, resolute in her denial. Now, the challenge for them is to construct a compelling case around this denial, especially given that Byeong-su’s family is relentlessly pressing for a murder indictment. At first glance, negligent manslaughter seems like an inevitable conclusion in this scenario, but their task is to demonstrate that there's no causal link between the act in question and the man's demise.
In the breakroom, Na-yeon crosses paths with a fresh, ambitious lawyer named Choi Yun-geon. He's a hard worker, albeit at the lower rungs of the legal ladder due to his less-than-stellar exam scores. Nonetheless, he has managed to garner a nod of approval from the higher-ups.
As she's about to leave, Na-yeon spots Mr. Lee encountering a hiccup at the register. His card keeps getting declined, prompting Na-yeon to step in and offer assistance. It turns out that Lee has lost his company to Bluestone Fund. Hynic Core was the pinnacle of his life's work, and now, regrettably, he no longer wields any control over it. Bluestone initially pumped 15 billion won into the company, only to later accuse Lee of embezzlement and other serious allegations before snatching the company away from him.
To make matters worse, the company then proceeded to sell Hynic off to Optalyn, an American firm, for a staggering 120 billion won. Lee is seething with anger over the fact that Bluestone has essentially sold off what was once his company, leaving Na-yeon in a precarious position.
Yullim had been embroiled in the embezzlement lawsuit when Ko Seung-cheol was at the helm. Na-yeon had been overseeing the case and had harbored suspicions of foul play from the outset. The entire deal reeked of impropriety, prompting Na-yeon to delve deeper into the matter alongside Mr. Lee in the present. Initially, she had been demoted for probing too deeply into the case, convinced that there was a malevolent clause lurking in his contract with Bluestone.
Now, Na-yeon is even more certain that her transfer was orchestrated to prevent Lee from seeking legal counsel regarding that very clause. Her removal from the case coincided suspiciously with the time when the CEO of Bluestone Fund, Mr. Ban, reached out to Lee.
Meanwhile, Jin-woo spots a golden opportunity to draw closer to Min-jeong. He seizes the moment by taking on a divorce case, providing him with the perfect pretext to engage her in conversation. He cleverly masks his true intentions under the guise of wanting to "gain insight into the process," but we're all privy to his cunning motives! Alas, his plan doesn't unfold as smoothly as he'd hoped, for Min-jeong outright rejects his advances. However, in a twist of fate, he finds himself confessing his long-held affection for her. She suspects his declaration stems from pity over her past, yet in truth, Jin-woo had harbored feelings for her even before, feelings that have only deepened with time. Min-jeong departs, but not before pausing to reflect on his words, visibly shaken by the revelation.
Shifting our focus back to the main case, Hyo-min seeks an expert's opinion on the Byeong-su incident. She discovers that Byeong-su suffered from Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic condition prone to causing life-threatening complications, including arterial ruptures. If proven, this revelation could significantly bolster Choi's defense. Hyo-min enlists Seol-a, her ace in the hole, to scrutinize the hospital records she's managed to procure. Upon closer inspection, it appears that Byeong-su's uncle and grandmother also battled the same ailment. Now, they must skillfully weave this information into their legal brief.
Their argument gains weight with endorsements from emergency medicine specialists, who attest that Dr. Choi's actions were justified under the circumstances. However, a looming question remains: what if Choi was actually aware of Byeong-su's condition and deliberately attempted pericardiocentesis? Such a scenario would heighten the likelihood of a manslaughter charge.
Seok-hoon, privy to all these developments, gives the green light for the brief to proceed. The outcome is a revelation: the cause of death is confirmed as aortic dissection resulting from vEDS. Consequently, Dr. Choi is exonerated, with no causal link established to warrant an indictment. The investigation draws to a close, and Dr. Choi is free to resume her life.
For Hyo-min, this outcome is both gratifying and a tad anticlimactic. She had geared up for a courtroom battle, only to find victory snatched from the jaws of potential defeat before it even began. Yet, as the pieces of the puzzle gradually fell into place, it became evident that fate had its own design. Moreover, we observe that the prosecutor, despite his involvement in Byeong-su's case, also harbored a desire for the same resolution, given his role in overseeing Min-su's assault case.
In the end, Byeong-su's untimely demise has ushered in a modicum of justice, ensuring that the right outcome prevails.
