Episode 1 of "Face Me" unfolds with the grand announcement by KSH Cosmetics, an esteemed cosmetics brand, of their latest venture: a beauty center headed by their esteemed plastic surgeon, Dr. Cha Jeong-woo. The scene sets the tone as we witness Dr. Cha steadfastly declining to perform reconstructive surgery on a patient, his resolve unshaken even in the face of vehement opposition from the patient's guardian.
The narrative then shifts seamlessly to Dr. Jeong-woo in the midst of a contouring surgery, his precision and concentration unparalleled. Suddenly, the tranquil atmosphere is shattered by the arrival of the police, accompanied by the guardian, demanding an immediate halt to the procedure. Jeong-woo stands his ground, portraying a doctor unwavering in his commitment to his craft, seemingly impervious to external pressures.
Parallel to this tense situation, we are introduced to Lee Min-hyung, a bold and determined police officer who has just apprehended a fraudster woman, leveraging her surgically enhanced beauty to deceive men. In a separate strand of the story, Kim Da- hye, a patient seeking an extreme transformation, consults with Jeong-woo, desiring a facelift that would render her unrecognizable. Sensing a deeper issue beneath her surface request, Jeong-woo gently urges her to reconsider.
However, fate intervenes dramatically as Da-hye, on her way to the parking lot, crosses paths with her abusive boyfriend. In a harrowing turn of events, he brutally attacks her with a shattered glass bottle, leaving her face marred by injuries.
Jeong-woo is urgently summoned for emergency reconstructive surgery, amidst the backdrop of Officer Min-hyung delving into the intricate case. The boyfriend, invoking CCTV footage capturing his own tumble,pleads self-defense, attempting to paint the incident as a mutual altercation. Post Da-hye's discharge, Min-hyung implores Jeong-woo to harness his medical expertise and dissect Da-hye's injuries, thereby unveiling the boyfriend's sinister intentions during the assault. Yet, Jeong-woo stands firm on the sanctity of patient confidentiality, insisting on a warrant for such disclosure.
As Min-hyung bids farewell to the hospital premises, a harrowing twist unfolds – Da-hye is abducted by her menacing boyfriend. Min-hyung swiftly alerts for reinforcement and, borrowing Jeong-woo's car, embarks on a relentless pursuit. Within the confines of the vehicle, Da-hye, fortified by Jeong-woo's earlier empowerment to assert herself, covertly records her boyfriend confessing to his abusive deeds. Jeong-woo eventually joins the fray, and Min-hyung apprehends the perpetrator on a multitude of charges, encompassing assault and stalking.
Through a sequence of haunting flashbacks, glimmers of Jeong-woo's own unhealed trauma surface, stemming from a fatal accident that diverted him from meeting his late fiancée. Meanwhile, the depth of another patient's story unfolds – her mother, grief-stricken over the recent loss of a twin sister, sought surgery as a cathartic journey for both herself and her mother.
The episode concludes on a poignant and tragic note, as the father of a former patient, whom Jeong-woo had declined to operate on, takes his own life, casting a dark shadow over Jeong-woo's preparations for an interview pertaining to Da-hye's case.
