In the Nine Puzzles episode 7, I-na was lost in thought. Something didn’t sit right with her. Why did Yoon-su hand over apartment 5802 to Chi-muk? It wasn’t like he didn’t have other units. He owned twelve. Why this one?
She talked it over with Han-saem. Both were confused. If Yoon-su, Chi-muk, and her uncle were somehow linked, then where did her uncle fit in all this? Nothing pointed to him.
Then Han-saem said something that made her pause. That apartment building was under Hangkang jurisdiction. Her uncle was once the superintendent there. That could mean something. Maybe he covered up something. But if he did, there had to be a reason. Some kind of exchange.
Han-saem started digging. He reached out to Dong-su, a senior who might know something. Dong-su explained that I-na’s uncle, Dong-hoon, had to leave the force because of public pressure. There was a major case — the Jungbu murder. It caused panic. A serial killer had struck every rainy Monday. One person was caught, but the deaths didn’t stop. In total, five people died.
I-na and Han-saem checked old records. They found something disturbing. There had been a case where a victim’s family was listed as a victim of the same serial killer. But the case was thrown out. No prosecution. The person who filed the complaint was the victim’s sibling.
They found and met this person. It was Mi-seon’s brother. Mi-seon had been the last victim. He wasn’t just angry at the system. He had also sued a media company. His sister had been called a karaoke girl in a story. He blamed the journalist, Gang-hyun. He said the journalist ruined his life.
Hidden Truths and Unfinished Cases
Han-saem decided to take a closer look at Gang-hyun’s case. He got access to the suicide report. What they found was strange. Gang-hyun was found dead with a black bag over his head. On his desk was a puzzle piece. That was eight months before Superintendent Dong-hoon died.
That meant Gang-hyun was likely the first victim. Not a suicide. A planned murder.
Han-saem tried to apply for leave. His boss didn’t approve it, but allowed him to investigate. He also warned him to be cautious, especially with I-na. Trust wasn’t easy in this case.
Later, they spoke to the officer who handled Gang-hyun’s case. He said no autopsy had been done. Gang-hyun had refused it before. He was a single parent and going through a hard time.
While checking the evidence box, I-na found something important. A puzzle piece. On it was a drawing. A man with a camera. His eyes were closed, and a thread was tied over them.
Another officer mentioned Jung-ho. He had worked with Gang-hyun before being moved to the investigation team. That could be a link.
Han-saem met Jung-ho. He asked why he hadn’t mentioned anything earlier. He directly questioned him about the missing handkerchief from Yoon-su’s crime scene. Jung-ho avoided the question and said something else—something bigger.
He asked Han-saem if he truly knew who I-na was. When Gang-hyun died, there were people in the apartment above. One of them was I-na. She had been there with friends. Everyone left that night. Except her. Her alibi was unclear. She was a minor back then. Dong-hoon handled the case and shut it down. After that, Jung-ho got transferred.
Deepening Conspiracy
I-na returned to that apartment. She tried to recall the night. She remembered Gang-hyun talking to Cheol-jin. Gang-hyun said he couldn’t do it alone. He needed money. He was frustrated. That night, around midnight, I-na had stepped out to the rooftop. She saw a dark figure entering the building.
Han-saem began to have doubts. Why didn’t she tell him that Gang-hyun was her friend’s father? She said she didn’t want to admit it because she was doing illegal tutoring. But she also started doubting Jung-ho. Why would he keep that much information from them?
I-na decided to confront Cheol-jin. She found him on a yacht. She asked if he knew Gang-hyun. Cheol-jin was visibly shocked. He had known her uncle, too.
Han-saem couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. He called I-na. But she didn’t answer. Instead, a police officer from Jeju picked up. I-na had been taken into custody. She was now a murder suspect.
Then the scene cuts to a man standing at the harbor. He had seen I-na earlier. She was unloading a bag from the yacht. Cheol-jin was dead in the sea. But what was strange? I-na wasn’t scared. She didn’t panic. Even when she noticed the man watching, she stayed calm.
Something about this case runs deeper than anyone expected. Connections are coming to light. Each thread leads back to the same people. Some are still hiding the truth. But not for long.
Here is the recap of the rest of the episodes:
Kavita Mishra is a dynamic writer and passionate Korean entertainment enthusiast, combining her love for K-pop and K-drama with a flair for storytelling. With a keen eye for the latest trends, Kavita crafts articles that capture the pulse of K-pop idols, chart-topping hits, and the most buzz-worthy dramas taking over screens worldwide.
