Episode 2 of "Hunter with a Scalpel" kicks off with Chang-jin, Jung-hyun's partner, cozying up at Mr. Choi's laundry shop, where familiarity breeds openness. They engage in candid chatter about Lee Yeon-ju, the deceased murder victim who had recently lodged a complaint against a stalker. The mention of Seo Se-hyun's desire to inspect the crime scene elicits a cheerful response from Mr. Choi.
At the National Forensic Service Institute, Director Kim Myung-kwan imposes his will on Dr. Yang Joon-kyung, instructing him to conclude the Nam Seung-hyeop case as one of assault, rather than drugs. Joon-kyung concurs, noting that Oh Min-ho will brief Se-hyun on the adjustment later that day.
The scene then shifts to Se-hyun and her colleague, Min-ho, arriving at the crime scene accompanied by Jung-hyun. Se-hyun ponders aloud how the killer staged the body like a spectacle. She alerts Jung-hyun to the logistics of transporting the corpse, hinting at the necessity of a substantial vehicle, and draws attention to a nearby CCTV camera poised to capture such a vehicle.
As Se-hyun and Min-ho board a bus back to Seoul, an enigmatic figure, his face obscured, joins them and eavesdrops intently. During the journey, Min-ho broaches the Nam Seung-hyeop case, subtly pressuring Se-hyun to sanction an autopsy report tinged with apparent inaccuracies. She拒绝him outright. Upon disembarking, Se-hyun receives a call from Kim Hyung-soo, a journalist, who also reaches out to Jung-hyun.
Se-hyun subsequently visits her mother in the hospital, tenderly wiping down the elderly woman who seems oblivious to her presence. Later, Kim Hyung-soo's call is answered by Se-hyun. Meanwhile, Min-ho arrives home but is ambushed by the bus passenger. The assailant injects Min-ho with an unknown substance before snapping his neck in a chilling act of violence.
Shortly thereafter, the news of the murder breaks loose, with the reporter painting a vivid picture of the police's ineptitude in apprehending the victim's stalker prior to her untimely demise. This revelation stirs a maelstrom of chaos within the police station, where Jung-hyun's subordinates level accusations at him, branding him as the leaker of the sensitive information and an adversary to his own team.
Desperate for an update, Jung-hyun reaches out to Se-hyun, only to be met with her assurance of an ongoing investigation devoid of breakthroughs. However, in the midst of their conversation, she stumbles upon a crucial clue—faint brush marks indicating an attempt to scrub something away. Se-hyun promptly consults with Joon-kyung, who presents her with a report detailing a specific type of mushroom discovered on the deceased's body.
Se-hyun reminisces about her college days, where she had dealt with cadavers that, due to improper preservation, sprouted mushrooms necessitating arduous cleaning with a brush. Yet, haunting flashes from her past reveal that her college curriculum had never equipped her with such knowledge.
At the police station, Jung-hyun suggests scrutinizing van drivers captured on CCTV footage as potential leads. Yet, his colleagues abandon him to shoulder the arduous task, each one scurrying home at the end of their shift. Meanwhile, the clues relentlessly steer Se-hyun towards a haunting figure from her past, her mind repeatedly whispering, "He's dead."
The second episode of "Hunter with a Scalpel" concludes on a harrowing note, with a young girl dragging a suitcase down the street, its contents seeping with blood, each drop painting a grim tale of the unknown.
