Episode 12 of My Perfect Stranger has taken a drastic turn, and as we suspected, there is even more confusion as we get closer to the end of the show. A lot went down in episode 12, and although some things felt like a drag, it was mostly a super fast-paced episode with new clues as to why this town is riddled with crime. Let’s get straight into it.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In Episode 12?
Hae-Joon beats around the bush to answer Yeon-Woo’s question about who he really is. Yeon-Woo is confused, but he continues to work on the car for Hae-Joon. Something about Hae-Joon makes Yeon-Woo trust him, even if it’s not wholeheartedly (we know it’s the shared blood). Yoon-Young tries to console a dull-looking Hae-Joon but finds out another sad truth about him in the process. He was never given love by anyone in his life; his grandfather, who he lived with, probably blamed him for sending Yeon-Woo away, so he was always cold to him. After Chung-A left Hae-Joon as a baby, Yeon-Woo decided to move to the US, and that’s why Hae-Joon grew up barely knowing either of his parents. Yoon-Young feels sorry for Hae-Joon after hearing his story, and she finally admits her true feelings by telling him about her nightmare. As we predicted, it’s because he isn’t there with her in the future that makes her sad. Hae-Joon is surprised that she feels the same way about him, and we see a realistic romance blossom between the two of them, who have found solace with each other in the middle of a storm.
On the other hand, the detectives arrest Go Min-Soo on the word of his sister Mi-Sook, and everyone seems to be celebrating this victory, but their problems are not all gone just yet. Detective Baek is the only one who is skeptical of Min-Soo being the culprit because evidence points out otherwise. In the meantime, Yoon-Young and Hae-Joon try to get through to Hae-Kyung, who is a real witness to the crimes. After a lot of work, she finally folds and tells Hae-Joon the truth, which is more shocking than relieving. Hae-Kyung was a witness to the murder, but so was Mi-Sook. Mi-Sook has nothing to do with the murders, but she just needed an excuse to get her brother arrested. All she wanted was to feel safe in her own house and for her family’s image to be untainted by her brother’s misdeeds. Mi-Sook convinced Hae-Kyung not to tell anyone the truth by showing her the scars from Min-Soo’s beatings. This way Hae-Kyung is understanding of Mi-Sook’s situation and doesn’t tell anyone they both were witnesses. Hae-Kyung feels terrible for Mi-Sook, so she decides to take her side, even though she knows it’s wrong and the real suspect will be free to do anything. In truth, Mi-Sook has seen the real culprit’s face, but she’s confident they won’t get caught for having her brother falsely arrested. Mi-Sook was also able to hide her brother for long enough with his broken arm because, as we know, he broke it on the day of the murders, and there was no way he could’ve tied a rope around the victims with that hand.
For Soon-Ae and Hee-Seop, things are looking up as he walks her home and comforts her after everything that’s happened. Soon-Ae wants to be home with her mother, who she’s extremely worried about, and the whole affair is quite adorable and simultaneously sad. Yeon-Woo asks his father what kind of person Hae-Joon is, and he says he finds him “oddly cool” because he’s always saving people. To date, ever since he entered the town, he’s been the one who is quick enough to be there in time to save people, from falling off cliffs to getting caught in house fires.
When Hae-Joon is trying to explain whatever he learned from Hae-Kyung to Yoon-Young, they get a call at home. It’s Bum-Ryong who is crying on the phone about Soon-Ae. He thinks something terrible has happened to her, and the police won’t listen to him because they think they’ve caught the real culprit. Hae-Joon gets worried immediately and makes his way to the abandoned house where Soon-Ae might’ve been taken. He sends a worried and crying Yoon-Young to Hee-Seop so that they can convince his uncle to go look for Soon-Ae. In the meantime, Bum-Ryong makes his way by himself because he wants to redeem himself for trying to hurt Soon-Ae. He feels like a terrible person because of the fear in her eyes when she looks at him now. Bum-Ryong had found Soon-Ae in the mountains where her sister’s ashes were spread when he was on his way to see the assistant teacher’s grave spot.
What Happens To Hae-Joon In The End?
Because Bum-Ryong is determined to make Soon-Ae see him in a better light, he decides to go to the abandoned house himself because Hae-Joon will take too long to reach it, even though Hae-Joon warned him to stay put. Bum-Ryong calls out for Soon-Ae when he reaches there and finds her tied up with a plastic bag covering her face. He fights the man who has captured her and frees her legs and her face as quickly as possible. Before he can untie her hands, the man begins to fight him. Soon-Ae manages to get up and escape, but she can hear the man beating up Bum-Ryong, and before we know it, he’s bludgeoned Bum-Ryong to death. He chases after Soon-Ae, and she even trips, but just as he’s about to catch her, Hae-Joon arrives. The police arrive at the same time as Yoon-Young and Hee-Seop. Hae-Joon chases after the culprit, and Soon-Ae gets taken to the hospital by a detective and Hee-Seop.
Detective Baek and Yoon-Young follow the path taken by Hae-Joon. Hae-Joon doesn’t find the culprit, but he’s completely taken aback by Bum-Ryong’s body. He tries to wake him up, but he knows it’s too late. He sees Bum-Ryong’s lifeless body in front of him, surrounded by blood, and is reminded of the image of his future self dead in the snow in the same manner. Hae-Joon is dumbfounded when Detective Baek arrives and sees the blood on his hands. Hae-Joon doesn’t protest or even say anything when Detective Baek arrests him as a potential suspect. The detective even finds the matchbox in his trousers, making him look extremely shady. Yoon-Young arrives too late and can’t understand what is happening after seeing the scene.
Now that the detective has arrested Hae-Joon, his entire fake life is in shambles. In the preview of the next episode, we can see Yoon-Young trying to convince Mi-Sook to tell the truth about the real culprit. We also see Detective Baek telling Hae-Joon that he basically doesn’t exist and that he can’t find any records of him even having been born. Even if Hae-Joon proves his innocence of the murders, how will he escape Detective Baek’s eyes?
