Episode 5 of "Perfect Family" picks up right where we left off, with Sun-hui receiving a mysterious text from Soo-yeon. Her heart pounding, she rushes out of the school's gates, her eyes scanning the streets frantically for her friend's trace. Suddenly, a black car barrels towards her, its headlights piercing the air with a sinister gleam. In a split second, Hyun-woo, her guardian angel, lunges forward, shoving her out of harm's way. Sun-hui recounts the sensation, likening it to the suffocating embrace of drowning in a river, her mind wandering to the possibility of a childhood tragedy she never knew.
At the hospital's hushed corridors, Hyun-woo's voice carries a grave certainty as he tells Sun-hui that the driver's intention was clear: to end her life. He urges her to report the incident, but memories of Kyeong-ho's fate weigh heavily on her, and she declines, fear etched on her face. The arrival of Eun-joo and Jin-hyeok interrupts their tense conversation, and Sun-hui can't help but notice the flicker of unease in Jin-hyeok's eyes upon laying eyes on Hyun-woo. Hyun-woo, too, observes this subtle shift, but chooses to remain silent.
Later that day, Sung-woo briefs Dong-ho on the CCTV footage, revealing Sun-hui's narrow escape from the speeding vehicle. They decide to confront her about the incident the next day. As night falls, Jin-hyeok sits lost in thought at his workplace, his gaze fixed on the starless sky beyond the window. His business partner, Mr. Han, sensing his distress, gently reminds him of his workaholic tendencies, urging him to take it easy.
The following morning, the detectives' unexpected visit to the Choi residence disrupts the morning's tranquility. As they inquire about the near-miss, Jin-hyeok initially hesitates to divulge details, but Dong-ho's revelation that a black car rented by Jin-hyeok on that fateful day sends shockwaves through Sun-hui. Jin-hyeok maintains his composure, requesting the officers to meet at his law firm for a formal discussion.
Left alone with their thoughts, Sung-woo ponders Jin-hyeok's unusual request, while Dong-ho muses on the lawyer's intricate nature, a man whose motives are as elusive as the fog on a winter's morning. Suddenly, Jin-hyeok's phone rings, shattering the silence, and his mood darkens. He storms up to the upstairs bedroom, only to find the window ajar, a chill breeze whispering of secrets left untold.
Meanwhile, Sun-hui's mind races with the events of the past weeks, a web of lies and deceit weaving tighter around her. Her father's sudden intrusion into her room, a storm of fury in his eyes, shocks her to the core. He frantically searches for the missing photo frame, his anger palpable. Sun-hui, tears welling up, tries vainly to stop him, as Eun-joo watches helplessly from the doorway, her heart heavy with concern.
Sun-hui's voice trembled as she inquired about the boy in the photograph, her curiosity piqued by the mystery surrounding her parents' involvement in Kyeong-ho and Soo-yeon's fate. Her anxiety mounted, causing her to unravel emotionally, confessing her profound fear of her guardians. Jin-hyeok, seething with anger, lashed out, confessing his own dread of Sun-hui, only to be silenced by Eun-joo's intervention. He sternly warned Sun-hui against trespassing into the room again before storming off.
Later, the police descended upon Jin-hyeok's law firm, scrutinizing CCTV footage in search of clues about the elusive black car. The car's image emerged, leaving investigators puzzled over its driver's identity.
Elsewhere, Sun-hui sought solace in Hyun-min, hoping to unravel the web of secrets. To her surprise, he disclosed his true identity as a cop unconnected to her personal turmoil, hinting at his lingering suspicions towards Jin-hyeok but withholding further details.
That fateful night, a fisherman stumbled upon a grim discovery in the river—what he believed to be Soo-yeon's severed head, accompanied by her identity documents and wallet, floating among the currents.
As Sun-hui returned home, she lied to Eun-joo, claiming a rendezvous with Hyun-woo. Jin-hyeok's arrival prompted Eun-joo to request a private conversation with Sun-hui, where they unveiled their plan to send her abroad for her safety and education, far from the turmoil engulfing them. Jin-hyeok declared that school was no longer a priority for Sun-hui.
Eun-joo, striving to comfort Sun-hui, shared a heartrending tale. The child in the photograph, she revealed, was her late son, consumed by a fire before Sun-hui became part of their family. Eun-joo bore the weight of guilt for her inability to save him and vowed to shield Sun-hui from all harm, beseeching her trust. Sun-hui pressed for details about the night Kyeong-ho perished, and Eun-joo reluctantly recounted finding him alive in the living room, a fragment of a tragic night that lingered in the shadows of their memories.
A poignant flashback unfolds, painting a vivid picture of Kyeong-ho beseeching Eun-joo to depart as his parents' imminent arrival loomed, offering her his assistance as a pretext. Eun-joo, desperate to summon aid, is thwarted by Kyeong-ho's insistence. Later, clutching Sun-hui's textbook and phone, she returns just as Kyeong-ho's parents step through the threshold. In the present, Sun-hui is jolted to the core when Eun-joo confesses her innocence in the tragic blaze that consumed Kyeong-ho's family.
As the night deepens, Sun-hui's mind reels with memories of her clandestine exchange with Hyun-min. He unravels a dark secret, divulging that Jin-hyeok, once an unassailable prosecutor, was ensnared in a web of arson and kidnapping thirteen years prior. The internet, a purveyor of knowledge, holds no trace of the case, erased from existence. Hyun-min's whispers carry a sinister undertone, alleging Jin-hyeok's involvement in the very fire that claimed Kyeong-ho's son, while casting Jin-hyeok as the prime suspect. He warns Sun-hui of her perilous situation, urging her to flee the shadows and shine a light on Jin-hyeok's deeds by alerting the authorities. His plea is tinged with a personal vendetta, as he seeks retribution for the loss of his own child at their hands.
Sun-hui's contemplative gaze drifts to Jin-hyeok, scrutinizing his every move through the lens of her newfound knowledge. Eun-joo's revelations and Hyun-min's accusations swirl in her mind, fostering a storm of doubts and reflections.
Meanwhile, Jin-hyeok's world is consumed by the news of Soo-yeon's belongings discovered by the riverbank, her fate hanging in the balance. Sung-woo departs, leaving Dong-ho to solitude at the police station, while Sun-hui embarks on a digital odyssey, searching for traces of the long-buried fire. To her dismay, the internet mirrors a barren wasteland, void of any mention of the inferno.
As dinner's warmth lingers, Sun-hui retreats to the sanctuary of her room, her parents' laughter a distant echo. A call from Hyun-min interrupts her solitude, their voices mingling in a hushed conversation before she bids him farewell. Yet, she brushes aside a call from Hyun-woo, unaware of the turmoil brewing within him.
Hyun-woo's thoughts drift back to Sun-hui's reluctance to expose the fires of the past—both the one that consumed Kyeong-ho's family and the twisted tale of a car accident. Memories of their youthful debates on the complexities of crime resurface, casting doubt on Sun-hui's innocence. As the episode fades, Hyun-woo finds himself at a crossroads, wondering if he can still trust in Sun-hui's purity amidst the shadows that engulf her.
