Episode 9 of "Family By Choice" unfolds with Joo-won's heart-wrenching discovery that San-ha and Hae-jun are relocating. Distraught by the news, she skips breakfast the subsequent day, her appetite lost amidst emotional turmoil. At school, she reluctantly acknowledges the truth that the trio, though close, never truly constituted a family, ultimately leading her to walk away alone.
San-ha, informed of Joo-won's hospital visit, hastily arranges to meet her at a cozy café. He reassures her of his impending return, while Hae-jun bids a poignant farewell to Park Dal. The following day, they depart without Joo-won's farewell gaze, prompting tears of regret to stream down her face as she confides in her father, lamenting her decision to stay away.
A decade slips by, transforming their once frequent video calls into sparse text messages, until Hae-jun completely fades from sight. Each year, San-ha sends heartfelt apologies for missing Joo-won's birthdays. Time transforms Joo-won into a bakery owner and San-ha into a dedicated doctor.
Meanwhile, Dal alerts Joo-won to a mysterious figure loitering near her bakery. A confrontation with a hooded stranger ensues, leaving her tangled in a struggle with an unidentified assailant. To her astonishment, both Joo-won's father and San-ha's father arrive at the police station – with Hae-jun in tow!
Concurrently, San-ha arrives at the precinct after witnessing Joo-won's bakery in disarray. The duo has returned, but Joo-won greets them with a lukewarm reception, repeating that they are not a family by blood. Hae-jun and San-ha revisit their old house, feeling a surge of nostalgia as they find their rooms untouched and preserved. Over dinner, San-ha finally declares that they are home for good, vowing never to leave again. While their fathers bask in joy, the episode concludes with Joo-won questioning their return, worn out from a decade of waiting and unfulfilled expectations.
