Episode 11 of "Hunter with a Scalpel" kicks off with an ominous scene as Se-hyun isforcefully dragged away, her fate hanging in the balance. Upon awakening, she finds herself confined within the confines of what appears to be Mr. Choi's van, rumbling down an unseen road.
Meanwhile, back at the laundry shop, Mr. Choi orchestrates a meticulous charade, staging the scene to resemble an attack, cleverly implicating Se-hyun. As paramedics whisk him away, he lays the blame squarely at her feet. However, Jung-hyun's keen eye catches a glimpse of Choi's shoes, which perfectly match the footprints discovered in Haryong's room, fueling his suspicions.
While Jung-hyun's team leans towards Se-hyun as the culprit behind the murders, his instincts scream otherwise, pointing towards Choi Min-guk. But just as tensions rise, Director Kim Jin-rae drops a bombshell, announcing that the investigation will now be a collaborative effort with Hong Jin-woo's team from the Gyeonggi Southern office.
Elsewhere, by the serene banks of a river, young Se-eun casts Se-hyun's phone and wallet into the depths, the ripples symbolizing lost hope. Yet, she is entranced by Se-hyun's watch, deciding to keep it as a token. Inside the van, Se-hyun awakens to find herself bound and helpless. Se-eun enters, innocent and unaware, as Se-hyun desperately tries to warn her about her father's sinister plans, to no avail.
At the police station, Jung-hyun finds himself in hot water. Jin-woo, convinced of a personal bias clouding Jung-hyun's judgment, strips him of his duties on the case. But Jung-hyun, unpredictable and relentless, snatches the case files and speeds off in defiance. Pouring over the documents, he stumbles upon the name 'Cheongun Mental Health Hospital' in Se-hyun's call logs, a lead too promising to ignore.
Simultaneously, Mr. Choi finds himself cocooned in the affectionate embrace of his neighbors, including Se-hyun's landlord. A flashback unfolds, revealing Eun-seo meticulously preparing decorations for Se-eun's upcoming birthday, a stark contrast to the dark events unfolding around them.
At Cheongun Mental Health Hospital, Jung-hyun uncovers Se-hyun's harrowing past from a doctor who had crossed her path before. The physician narrates how she was discovered, lost and vulnerable, in the depths of the woods, ultimately ending up in the confines of an orphanage. However, a compassionate nun soon realized that Se-hyun had engaged in a macabre act—slicing open a cat and meticulously stitching it back together. Alarmed by this disturbing revelation, the nun brought her to the mental health hospital, where specialists diagnosed her with antisocial disorder, branding her a sociopath. The doctor's grim advice was clear: to keep her away from other children. Yet, driven by a heart of mercy, the nun refused to let her be solitary, choosing instead to adopt her and lavishing her with love and care. Presently, according to the doctor, Se-hyun's tender concern for her adoptive mother belies the demeanor of a potential killer.
Inside Choi's van, Se-eun extends a gesture of kindness, sharing her meager food with Se-hyun. Flashbacks intertwine, depicting Eun-seo and Se-eun's joyous playfulness. Elsewhere, Jin-woo stages a press conference, announcing a substantial reward for Se-hyun's apprehension.
In a private moment, Choi places a call, instructing someone to secure tickets for two adults aboard a passenger ship. Time passes, and Se-hyun, noticing the van door ajar, painstakingly drags herself outside. There, Choi and Se-eun are engaged in a cozy barbecue. Se-eun, moved by pity, frees Se-hyun, who promptly joins their impromptu gathering. Choi, seeking to fuel her resentment, shows her news clips depicting her colleagues' betrayals—slandering her and framing her for false reports about Nam Seung-hyeop.
With a declarative tone, Choi unveils their plan for a fresh start as a makeshift family, a plan that chillingly includes murdering Se-eun. Se-hyun, her instincts kicking in once more, lunges for a knife, intending to stab Choi. Yet, he overpowers her with ease, punishment swiftly meted out as he slices into her fingers with a cruel precision.
