Episode 2 of "Unmasked" kicks off with a grizzled trash collector, his weathered hands accidentally spilling forth a macabre secret—the severed head of a feline, lurking innocuously amidst the refuse. A young female student, her smartphone discreetly aimed, captures the grim tableau until the collector's sharp gaze pierces through the shadows, locking onto her.
The narrative transitions to Koo Hyeong-tae, the esteemed president of KNS, standing firm amidst a press gauntlet, vowing to withstand the onslaught of anonymous fake news perpetrators. Han Do arrives at his workplace, where he is formally introduced to his Trigger team compatriots: Seo Jeong-suk and Yoon Byeong-gun. An air of discord envelops Han Do, who seems unable to find common ground with anyone. His irritation spikes when Park Dae-young, the chief, notices a telltale speck of black on his pinkie nail.
Elsewhere, So-ryong engages in a poignant encounter with the father of Cha Seung-wook, a once-renowned singer whose disappearance left a void two decades ago. She reveals that she has uncovered the singer's estranged ex-girlfriend and plans to meet her in the United States. Upon her return to the office, she dives into a pivotal meeting with Koo Hyeong-tae, Park Dae-young, and Son Hui-won.
Hyeong-tae's demeanor darkens as he laments the tarnishing of their reputation following the "Haven of Trust" episode, hinting at the possibility of Trigger's cancellation. So-ryong, undeterred, rises to the challenge. Hyeong-tae proposes a wager: if he uncovers the genuine Dr. Trigger first, Trigger will be axed. Conversely, if So-ryong succeeds, the show will continue its run. Though she reluctantly agrees, she later confides in Dae-young that her primary focus will remain the Cha Seung-wook mystery.
As the elevator doors slide open, Hui-won counsels So-ryong to leverage Han Do's skills as a producer. She advocates for promoting Gi-ho, highlighting his tireless efforts over the past three years. Upon reaching the Trigger office, So-ryong confronts Han Do, accusing him of being a privileged hire. In return, Han Do scoffs at the show's merits. Unperturbed, So-ryong instructs Gi-ho to compile his portfolio and pitch a compelling narrative.
So-ryong then gives Han Do some work. She has him review and reclassify all the cases in their archives, where all the files and footage are stored, and look for cases worth a follow-up. So-ryong is leaving the office when a man sneaks up behind her.
She drags him to the stairwell and we learn that he’s her boyfriend and also the one who gave her the ring. He’s still waiting for an answer though and that’s when she asks him to put it on her finger. He does so, ecstatic, and then gives her a quick goodbye kiss before leaving.
Elsewhere, Han Do sees a cat outside a convenience store and notices it has twine around his neck. He follows and tries to cut it off with a blade but the store owner mistakes him as the person killing cats in the neighbourhood. He takes Han Do to the police station and Han Do is forced to call So-ryong to confirm his identity. So-ryong is at the airport but turns up to get Han Do out of trouble anyway.
She then tells him that she noticed him smelling the sunflower she got him as a gift and knows he’s prickly on the outside but soft on the inside. He tells her he doesn’t trust people and leaves.
Han Do goes home and recalls a tough memory from his childhood — his father, a policeman, had caught a very young Han Do stealing and deliberately injured his pinkie finger as punishment. This is despite Han Do saying it was his older brother who asked him to do it. In the morning, Han Do comes across a crowd and sees that the cat from the night before has been killed and mutilated.
He goes to work and furiously drafts a pitch for a story about the cat killer. Coincidentally, Gi-ho has written the same pitch and accuses Han Do of copying it. As they are arguing in front of So-ryong, Hui-won arrives and tells her to let Han Do take the lead in the story. He also insults Gi-ho because he graduated from a lesser-known college.
So-ryong asserts her independence, declaring that she will never allow her superiors to dictate her actions, which prompts Hui-won to storm off in a fit of pique. Afterwards, So-ryong offers solace to Gi-ho, confiding in him that her journey to the United States never materialized due to her contact informing her that Cho He-won, Seung-wook's former lover, would meet her right here in South Korea.
Han Do returns to the convenience store, instructing the cashier to alert him to any suspicious activities. As he lingers in the vicinity, a young male student approaches him with an urgent tale. The student reveals that his female friend captured footage of an elderly garbage collector burning deceased cats and proceeds to show Han Do the evidence. The student then divulges the man's residence, prompting Han Do to rush over to investigate, unfortunately dropping and shattering his phone in the haste. Upon arrival, Han Do finds the door ajar, revealing a multitude of cats and kittens within the house. Moments later, the elderly man steps in.
Elsewhere, Park Dae-young informs So-ryong that Koo Hyeong-tae has assembled a special task force to uncover the identity of Dr. Trigger. Upon reviewing CCTV footage from the hallway, they identified an outsider in the building and now suspect him of being the elusive doctor. Suddenly, Gi-ho realizes he cannot reach Han Do on his phone and further notices that the student who spoke to Han Do provided a false phone number. Alarmed, Gi-ho fears that the cat killer might have gotten to him. The team springs into action, rushing out to search for Han Do.
However, Han Do remains unperturbed! The elderly gentleman, radiating innocence, confides in Han Do that he witnessed the feline massacre and subsequently took it upon himself to bring their bodies home. He had heard distressing tales of the authorities callously discarding deceased cats in trash bags, prompting him to opt for a more respectful farewell—cremation. It was for this reason he was seen burning them.
He further enlightens Han Do, revealing that the true perpetrator is none other than the male student who earlier engaged Han Do in conversation, donning a wig to disguise himself as a woman. The old man recounts how the student confronted him, wielding a blade and issuing grim threats.
Just then, So-ryong and her companions burst onto the scene, having tracked him down through CCTV footage. So-ryong sternly reprimands Han Do, insisting he coordinate efforts with the team. Meanwhile, the male student slips into his wig once more and approaches a young boy, pleading for assistance.
Back at the workplace, Han Do overheads a man in the gentlemen's room mentioning a recording. To his surprise, this man turns out to be So-ryong's beau. Upon returning to the Trigger office, chaos ensues as a follower from the Haven of Trust cult hurls an object through a window, shattering the glass. Following this, they deploy a smoke bomb, causing panic. Han Do, attempting to fend it off, inadvertently strikes So-ryong instead.
The Unmasked Episode 2 concludes with an eerie scene: the deserted KNS office, where an unseen figure logs into the Dr. Trigger account, leaving a cliffhanger that teases further intrigue.
