After sitting Hae-soo down, Sunbae Jo and Doctor Lee cut right to the chase: they believe Jae-yeol is schizophrenic. Furthermore, the aspiring young writer Jae-yeol cares about so much-Kang-woo-doesn't exist and neither do any of the kid's manuscripts.
It isn't an easy pill for anyone to swallow, particularly Hae-soo, who reacts with a mix of shock and confusion. She understandably doesn't want to believe it, but watching the CCTV evidence of Jae-yeol fighting no one but himself disturbs her.
She tries her best to keep her voice calm when Jae-yeol calls, her eyes glued to the monitor. He picks up on her nervousness on the phone, and hangs up since he'll be writing tonight. Jae-yeol was allegedly involved in an altercation with Kang-woo's father about two months ago, which has Hae-soo tearfully recall the night Jae-yeol returned home battered and bloody.
After being told that Mama Ok-ja may be responsible for Jae-yeol's stepfather's death, Hae-soo is also told that imaginary Kang-woo may be a manifestation of Jae-yeol's own younger self and personified guilt towards his brother. But what's even more unsettling is how Jae-yeol is unaware that he's hurting himself.
His condition is severe enough for Doctor Lee to consider hospitalizing Jae-yeol immediately, something Hae-soo is reluctant to even think about. When asked if Jae-yeol has voluntarily put himself in danger before, she recalls Jae-yeol's risk-taking behaviors, from the speedy car chase to when he ran into oncoming traffic to his most recent car accident.
But Hae-soo denies any such behavior despite being told that time is of the essence. The building sweat on Hae-soo's body betrays her words, though, and Doctor Lee warns Tae-yeol against taking any rash actions which could worsen Jae-yeol's condition.
They have to keep Hae-soo away from Jae-yeol, Doctor Lee tells Sunbae Jo afterwards-for both of their sakes. If Jae-yeol's self-harming behavior progresses, the end result is suicide.
When Hae-soo calls Jae-yeol asking where Kang-woo's manuscripts are, he explains that he last saw them when she came in while he was on the phone with Kang-woo. Now we see the memory from her perspective, realizing that Jae-yeol wasn't holding anything in his hands, let alone a manuscript.
Jae-yeol directs her to the drawer he believes he stuffed the document in. It's empty of course, and he's left perplexed when Hae-soo says it isn't there.
She's still very much in denial of Jae-yeol's psychological issues afterwards, refusing to believe Sunbae Jo's hypothesis of schizophrenia when it could be a minor neurological issue. Why should they as doctors jump to conclusions when she hasn't witnessed any abnormal behavior?
Soo-kwang and So-nyeo happen to catch the tail-end of that conversation. After sending his girlfriend home, Soo-kwang recalls a time when Jae-yeol was carrying on a conversation by himself outside the cafe.
So when Hae-soo lights another candle that night, Soo-kwang repeats the statistics she spoke from her own mouth-how the majority of schizophrenic patients can lead normal lives with proper medication. But Hae-soo returns to her room without another word.
Concerned, Soo-kwang heads over to Jae-yeol's place for an unexpected sleepover, much to the latter's annoyance. He even grabs Jae-yeol in a surprise back hug to express his gratitude for the coolest guy he knows. Aw.
Jae-yeol's stuck with him tonight whether he likes it or night, and though Soo-kwang makes light of his presence here, he tries his best to tamp down his worries.
Hae-soo thinks back to Sunbae Jo's words earlier: if Jae-yeol's repressed guilt is the primary issue, then his risk of self-harm increases the happier he is with Hae-soo. The memories flash through her head: how Jae-yeol hurt himself water skiing after they kissed, his violent dreams after they slept together, and his collision into a pole after their impromptu water fight.
