Episode 15 of "Hunter with a Scalpel" kicks off with a mesmerizing flashback that delves into the past. We witness a harrowing moment where despite Jo-kyun's brutal push, Eun-seo remains miraculously alive yet injured. In a desperate bid, Jo-kyun attempts to drag her towards the cliff's edge, only to be thwarted by Se-eun's brave step forward. Seizing the fleeting chance, Eun-seo musters her strength to push Jo-kyun back, sending him plummeting over the cliff to a fateful crash against the jagged rocks below.
Present-day, Se-hyun visits Jung-hyun in his hospital room, expressing her earnest desire to assist in the investigation. However, Jung-hyun gently but firmly rejects her offer, insisting she's done more than enough. Just as their conversation concludes, Jung-hyun receives a urgent call from Chang-jin, prompting him to rush to the police station. Director Kim Jin-rae remains steadfast in his skepticism, unwilling to believe that Se-hyun isn't the elusive serial killer. Jung-hyun persists, trying to convince him to focus their efforts on capturing Jo-kyun.
Elsewhere, an eerie scene unfolds as Jo-kyun dials Se-eun's number from within a van. Moments later, he exits, donned in her blood-stained uniform, leaving a chilling image behind. The detectives soon receive the package containing these incriminating clothes and swiftly dispatch it to the forensic lab, where Dr. Cheon takes charge. She delivers the garments to Yang Joon-kyung and promptly confronts her, accusing her of deliberately slowing down the investigation. Dr. Cheon issues a grave threat, hinting at exposing the truth behind the Nam Seung-hyeop case, which sends Joon-kyung scrambling to confront Kim Myung-kwan. However, to her disappointment, she discovers that despite his earlier promises, Kim is promoting someone else over her. This revelation seems to serve as a catalyst, shifting Joon-kyung's loyalties, and she refrains from informing Kim about Dr. Cheon's menacing threats.
Jung-hyun updates Se-hyun on the clothes' discovery, and she reveals that Jo-kyun had indeed visited the hospital, terrorizing Se-eun in the process. With resolve, Se-hyun insists on venturing out to search for Se-eun, but Jung-hyun sternly forbids it, even instructing the guards to restrict her movements within the room.
A poignant flashback transports us back to Se-eun and Eun-seo's arduous journey through the dense woods following Jo-kyun's dramatic fall. Weakened by her head injury, Eun-seo's strength wanes, and she collapses, eventually succumbing to her wounds, leaving behind a heart-wrenching scene of loss and sorrow.
Currently, Se-hyun is still haunted by guilt concerning Se-eun's whereabouts. A nurse arrives with an exquisitely arranged bouquet of flowers, mentioning that an anonymous individual had left them. Inside the accompanying envelope, Se-hyun discovers a cryptic message from her father, bearing an address.
The detectives comb the vicinity where Se-eun's clothing was discovered, but their efforts yield no results. Soon after, the forensic team breaks the news that the bloodstains on her garments belong to an adult, sparking a glimmer of hope that Se-eun might still be alive!
Later, Jo-kyun is seen exiting his pristine white truck and dragging a formidable blue drum through the dense woods, presumably containing a terrified Se-eun within. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Se-hyun orchestrates a clever diversion and slips away in a nurse's uniform, stealthily pocketing some medication along the way.
Eventually, the detectives encounter the woman from the grocery store who had sold bread to Se-eun. She provides them with vital directions that lead them straight to Jo-kyun's clandestine hideout. To their horror, they find the deceased journalist from earlier lying lifeless inside.
Elsewhere, Jo-kyun meets with the individual arranging his passage on a ship. However, he receives disheartening news: there's only one ticket available, contrary to Jo-kyun's request for two. When the man refuses to assist further, Jo-kyun brutally eliminates him to "create room" for both him and Se-hyun.
In a harrowing final scene, the blue drum sits ominously in the heart of the forest, with little Se-eun's desperate cries for help echoing through the woods.
