The narrative of Episode 5 of "Hunter with a Scalpel" unfolds with Se-eun, an innocent little girl, joyously celebrating her birthday amidst the warmth of her mother's embrace. However, their celebration is abruptly shattered when a burly man bursts into their home, brute-force dragging the mother away while raining blows upon her.
Elsewhere, Jung-hyun and his detective compatriots meticulously sift through CCTV footage, seeking clues from the two grim murders. Meanwhile, Se-hyun embarks on a journey to inspect a modest yet cozy apartment. As she steps inside, she conveys her eagerness to the realtor, expressing her desire to move in promptly.
In a parallel scenario, Oh Min-ho's girlfriend, Da-yeon, shares a distressing account with the authorities, painting a picture of Se-hyun's harsh treatment towards Min-ho. She even delves into the contentious Nam Seung-hyeop case, adding depth to the narrative.
The scene then shifts to the realtor, who finds herself in conversation with Mr. Choi. She entrusts him with the task of repairing the apartment door's lock, accommodating Se-hyun's immediate moving-in plans. Mr. Choi, donning a knowing gaze, readily agrees to tackle the repair that very night, citing the solemn occasion of his wife and child's death anniversary.
After an exhaustive analysis of the CCTV footage, Jung-hyun decides to trace Min-ho's footsteps through Seoul. En route, he dials Se-hyun, informing her that her forensic office assignment has been confirmed at Yongcheon Hospital. Inquiring about her arrival, Se-hyun crafts a deceitful narrative, asserting she would join the following day.
Subsequently, Se-hyun ventures to the grim location where Min-ho's lifeless body was discovered in a suitcase. Her eyes catch sight of a flyer adhered to a pole, advertising a missing persons service. This sight triggers a vivid visualization—Se-eun, the little girl from earlier, struggling to drag the suitcase to this very spot and posting the flyer in desperation.
A haunting flashback transports us to the harrowing scene involving young Se-eun. Emerging from the bedroom, Mr. Choi reveals the grim sight of her mother's bloody corpse within. As he strides toward Se-eun, she surprisingly seizes a towel and starts erasing his bloody footprints, intriguing him deeply. Later, Se-hyun boards a bus, only to be startled by a vivid vision of Min-ho, her mind conjuring up the image of the man in the bucket hat perched at the rear. Presently, she discovers him lurking behind her on the bus; he stretches out a hand, addressing her mistakenly as Se-eun, perhaps a mirage in the making.
In parallel, Jung-hyun painstakingly traces Min-ho’s footsteps through the labyrinthine streets of Seoul. CCTV footage captures the figure in the black bucket hat veering off in one direction before reappearing later, tantalizingly elusive. Jung-hyun follows the trail to a narrow alley, where the CCTV coverage abruptly ends, and to his surprise, encounters Se-hyun standing there.
Elsewhere, amidst a blanket of snow, Mr. Choi patiently awaits by his pristine white truck. A young girl's voice summons him inside, announcing that everything is set. Stepping in, he resumes his grim work on the lifeless form of the woman from the previous episode's climactic scene.
Later, Jung-hyun and Se-hyun convene at a restaurant to decipher the case. Jung-hyun posits that the perpetrator is intimately familiar with Yongcheon’s streets. Se-hyun receives a call from her colleague, who informs her that pancuronium has been identified in both victims' bodies. However, she chooses to deceive Jung-hyun, disclosing nothing of this discovery.
On her solitary walk home, Se-hyun vows to herself that she must outwit the killer first. The task ahead is daunting, as almost instantly, she stumbles upon a fresh horror—a woman's lifeless body sprawled across the road. This latest victim of Mr. Choi's is clad in white, her severed foot macabrely tied to her torso with thread, painting a picture of unspeakable brutality.
Visions of her childhood doll, whose limbs she meticulously stitched back together, flash through her mind. Se-hyun is abruptly pulled from her reverie by a call from an unknown, hidden number. To her astonishment, the voice on the other end belongs to none other than her father, Mr. Choi. He greets her with a birthday wish tinged with macabre amusement, hinting darkly at the murders.
As their conversation unfolds, a peculiar sound catches Se-hyun's attention, leading her to discover an open suitcase, its contents neatly arranged, with a plate of gimbap perched atop. Mr. Choi encourages her to indulge, his tone a mix of challenge and invitation. Determined, Se-hyun makes it abundantly clear that she intends to engage in his twisted game—and emerge victorious. With resolve hardening her gaze, she reaches for the gimbap and takes a bite.
