[SPOILER] WEBTOON PLOT SUMMARY

Je Mun-jae (a.k.a. Cha Hyun-woo):

• Once a renowned drama writer praised for his exceptional storytelling and strong viewer ratings.
• Known for his introverted personality, especially during his school years.
• Spent part of his youth in Namchon, his father's hometown, where he attended middle school.
• In a writing assignment, he excluded the names of his writing club peers, which led to them being bullied.
• Subsequently, he was assaulted and hospitalized over the incident.
• Claims he did not spread rumors about corruption within the club. He was framed, though he admits to excluding the names.
• After his discharge, he learned boxing as a way to cope with and defend against domestic abuse from his father.
• Later established a shell company in Hong Kong to evade taxes.
• Took on the alias "Cha Hyun-woo" while operating his business.
• Defrauded the violent loan shark Noh Ja, prompting him to go into hiding for 10 years, never setting foot outside during that time.
• Begins to suspect something unusual when he notices the a person with his identity wandering the streets for a decade.
• After being spotted by former classmate Na Seong-gi, he is forced to leave hiding.
• Blackmails An Gyeong-hwan to obtain a list of his former classmates.
• Is eventually caught by trappers and taken to Sotae Amusement Park.
• Confronts a mysterious figure referred to as “the rat,” who bears a strong resemblance to his younger self.

• During the confrontation, he is disturbed by the rat's knowledge of Sotae Amusement Park.
• After the climax, he admits to plagiarizing a work and returns all profits to the original author.
• Begins writing a new story titled “People Who Don’t Exist.”

Noh Ja (Real name: Kim Young-geun):

• A vicious loan shark known for extreme violence and brutality.
• Kills clients who don’t repay debts - dismembers them and uses their remains as dog food.
• Has a terrifying appearance, with a distinctive scarred face resembling Genitz and a knife wound across one eye.
• Defeated Kim Seong-han (“Weasel”), one of Je Mun-jae’s physically powerful former classmates.
• Took down an entire gang single-handedly.
• Relentlessly pursued and hunted down former members of the Dowongyeol Club, including Je Mun-jae.
• Despite his fearsome persona, he has a careless and sometimes comical side:
• Once misjudged the threat of a thrown object and got hit in the head.
• Frequently makes simple mistakes, revealing a clumsy nature beneath the brutality.
• Driven by a love for money, even boasting about hunting wild boars for a bounty of 5 million won per boar.
• Dies getting shot by Kim Sang-soo.
• In the epilogue, a mysterious package is delivered to his father, bearing Noh Ja’s name, Kim Young-geun.


Field Mouse:

• Formerly a low-level employee at a cyber detective agency, Field Mouse specialized in monitoring people's private data.
• Became fascinated by the isolated life of Jemunjae after accessing his personal information.
• Legally declared dead under South Korean law, making him immune from prosecution.
• Discovered to be Je Mun-jae’s former classmate (revealed by Ahn Kyung-hwan).
• Has a "So-tae-91" tattoo on his left arm, which Je Mun-jae vaguely remembers from school.
• Assumed Je Mun-jae’s identity and lifestyle, inspired by a cable TV animation titled “The Rat Who Ate His Nails.”
• Claimed, falsely, that his impersonation was altruistic: “a good fake is better than a vicious real one.”
• CEO of “The House of the Field Mouse,” a supposed charity that functions as a vigilante front:
• Kills corrupt individuals.
• Steals and transfers their identities to impoverished people.
• Monitors the recipients, contradicting his stated goal of granting them freedom.
• Recruits like-minded individuals, murders dissenters or anyone who uncovers his true identity.
• Methodical, manipulative, and ruthless. Has no family or legal identity; lives as a ghost in society.
• Motivated by a twisted sense of justice rooted in childhood experiences with class inequality.
• Secretly eavesdropped on Je Mun-jae and Noh Ja.
• Reunites with Je Mun-jae, leading to a physical confrontation.
• During their confrontation at Sotae Amusement Park, is shot by Je Mun-jae.
• Suggests that Je Mun-jae’s internal self-image was actually modeled after him.
• His motive was to provide new lives for neglected individuals from lower social classes, though his methods were violent and unethical.
• Despite suspicion, some of his charitable work (e.g., welfare facilities) is confirmed to be genuine.
• Dies and is cremated anonymously; his ashes are stored in an incense burner.
• Only remembered by Je Mun-jae, and former writing club members Eui-teum and Seong-pyo.


Na Seong-gi:

• A former middle school classmate of Je Moon-jae, known for speaking with a Gyeongsang dialect.
• Gave Je Moon-jae the nickname “Jjang-gu” during their school days.
• During a phone call, claimed to have seen Je Moon-jae at church - a remark that became a pivotal clue in Je Moon-jae’s investigation into the Field Mouse.
• Failed to recognize Je Moon-jae at their class reunion.
• Eventually revealed to be complicit in the Field Mouse’s scheme.
• While showing off his car to a friend, he was caught off guard and punished by Je Moon-jae, who was hiding in the garage behind him.

An Gyeong-hwan:

• An Gyeong-hwan is Je Moon-jae’s lawyer and former middle school classmate.
• He uses the alias “Yoo Tae-hwan.”
• Due to Je Moon-jae's reclusive lifestyle, An Gyeong-hwan handles matters outside the house on his behalf.
• He secretly conspires with the Field Mouse in a plot to replace Je Moon-jae.
• He orchestrates an attempted murder of Je Moon-jae and Noh Ja by dispatching assailants to Je Moon-jae’s uncle’s home.
• Ultimately, An Gyeong-hwan is killed by the Field Mouse.


Song In-ju:

• A former colleague and romantic partner of Je Moon-jae during his days as a writer.
• Reconnects with Je Moon-jae during his quest to uncover his true identity.
• Tragically killed in a car bomb explosion shortly after parting ways with him.

Je Moon-jae’s Uncle:

• A troubled alcoholic who is deeply entangled in the Field Mouse case.
• Possesses knowledge of the true identity of the Field Mouse.
• The first to participate in disguising the Field Mouse as part of a ritualistic offering.
• Assassinated and framed as a suicide to silence him before he could reveal the truth to Je Moon-jae.


Kim Sang-soo:

• Middle-aged contract killer with alopecia areata.

• Speaks with a Chungcheong dialect.

• First appears killing a funeral director for Director Kim.

• Works for the Field Mouse, tasked with assassinating anyone who knows the Field Mouse’s identity.

• Extremely ruthless; shoots corpses to confirm death.

• Kills organ traffickers connected to the Field Mouse gang.

• Wounds Noh Ja in the ear when he tries to retaliate.

• Reappears later and shoots Noh Ja in the stomach.

• Gets killed by dispatched police after approaching a collapsed Noh Ja.

• Sent to investigate the Field Mouse incident but is ultimately killed, found dead at Lee Geum-seok’s place with a gunshot to the head.

• Has a vague history with Noh Ja - Noh Ja claims to have met him only once.

Shin Young-tae:

• Former livestock caretaker at Je Moon-jae’s middle school.

• Informs Je Moon-jae that the Field Mouse’s “So-tae-91” tattoo is linked to a reservoir murder case from their school days.

• Testifies that someone entered the livestock house and later exited toward the school gate on the day of the reservoir incident.


Kim Chang-hwan:

• Former school shooting range manager during Je Moon-jae’s middle school years.

• Was also the grave keeper at the site of the reservoir murder.

• Claims he witnessed the murder and testified that the culprit was a “ghost.”

• Tells Je Moon-jae that a strange man came to the shooting range and borrowed bullets.

O Myo-han:

• Was on the school leadership team during Je Moon-jae’s middle school days.

• Tells Je Moon-jae and Noh Ja about local folklore tied to the reservoir murder, involving a red moon and the ghost of an orphan killed by the Japanese military.

• Claims villagers avoided involvement out of fear and branded the orphan as anti-Japanese.

• States he doesn’t believe in the ghost stories, blaming the murder rumors on lack of witnesses.

• Points to Go Ju-yong as someone possibly close to the murderer.

• Testifies that a strange man passed by the school gate with blunt weapons borrowed from the barn, saying he had “something to do.”

"Unnamed" Middle School Classmate of Go Ju-yong and Je Moon-jae:

• Saw the phrase "So-tae-91" engraved on the arm of the field mouse during their school days.

• This sighting led to rumors that he was close to the field mouse and exchanged corpse photos, causing social trouble for him.

• Provides a key clue: claims that the victim of the reservoir murder was Je Moon-jae.

• Was a former baseball team member known for his strong throwing arm - he once hit bullies with rocks.


Park Soon-yong:

• A middle school classmate of Je Moon-jae.

• Works as a detective, though with no real achievements and was demoted due to assaulting a junior. Now, he does odd jobs.

• Divorced with children, separated at the time of the story.

• Receives a photo of the field mouse from Je Moon-jae and starts investigating it.

• Initially thought criminals commit crimes due to mental problems, so he didn't take the field mouse case seriously.

• Becomes more involved after the suicide of Lee Cheol-yong, a former boarder he knew.

• Visits the field mouse's house and realizes he has no recollection of Je Moon-jae.

• Apologizes to the field mouse and agrees to meet for drinks, but later remembers Je Moon-jae wasn’t at his father’s funeral and that he was hospitalized at the time.

• Murdered at a rooftop cafe by a hitman disguised as a waitress at the request of Hwang Tae-bok.

• During school days, was a member of the student council and turned a blind eye when Je Moon-jae tried to sneak a pornographic magazine to students.

Lee Cheol-yong:

• The son of a boarding house owner.

• Knew Park Soon-yong when they were boarders.

• After his mother’s death in an accident, he became unemployed.

• Committed suicide after posting a murder notice on the Rat’s House website.

• Was a member of the Rat’s House.

Analyst from the Scientific Investigation Unit:

• Previously framed an ambiguous person as a culprit during his time as a crime analyst, leading to his demotion.
• Investigates the field mouse incident alongside Park Soon-yong after Lee Cheol-yong’s suicide.

• Comes into contact with a person living under Park Jong-won’s identity.

• In the epilogue, expresses gratitude for Je Moon-jae’s cooperation, saying the case was successfully concluded because of it.


Jeong Seok-gyo:

• The culprit who murdered Park Moon-hong, CEO of JB Distribution Company, out of resentment after being fired due to dyscalculia.

• Confesses during interrogation by Gurapile that he also committed public murder.

• Reveals he was a detective present when Gurapile worked as a crime analyst.

• Tells Gurapile that the then head of the investigation team, Hwang Sun-cheol, covered up suspicious deaths at the reservoir.

• Confesses to murdering Hwang Sun-cheol.

Hwang Tae-bok:

• A reporter for Mujin Ilbo.

• He stole the identity of the already murdered tax evader Park Jong-won and is pretending to be him.

• Laments about his situation, saying he graduated from the Department of Journalism but only ended up as a joke in the media industry.

• Provides information to Park Soon-yong and hears complaints about fake wealth and status.

• He contacts Park Soon-yong, claiming an informant will meet him at the rooftop cafe, but it’s a lie to lure Park Soon-yong for an assassination attempt.

• In the epilogue, he is arrested on charges of involvement in the field rat incident.

Han Joong-pil:

• A member of the writing club during middle school and the only classmate from Je Moon-jae's previous grade.

• Known for his knack for fraud and manipulation, Han Joong-pil dragged Je Moon-jae into the writing club when Je Moon-jae was trying to join the movie appreciation club.

• Due to his actions and suspicious behavior, Han Joong-pil becomes one of the prime suspects of being the Field Mouse.

• When Je Moon-jae was in the spotlight, Han Joong-pil spread rumors about the corruption of the writing club members and planned to kill Je Moon-jae.

• It’s revealed that Han Joong-pil was in prison for attempted murder and fraud, leading to a shift in suspicion about his role in the Field Mouse’s identity.

• During a visit in prison, Han Joong-pil reveals that Je Moon-jae’s assumption about the motive for his murder plan was superficial. The real motive was related to a secret about Han Joong-pil's mother that Je Moon-jae had exposed.

• Je Moon-jae feels guilty, apologizing to Han Joong-pil, believing he ordered his death. However, Han Joong-pil remains confused, asking, "But who killed whom?"

• Han Joong-pil later explains that the gunshot Je Moon-jae heard was just firecrackers, and the flowerpot that fell was made of cardboard. Han Joong-pil had only intended to kill Je Moon-jae, but his plan failed.

• Han Joong-pil was responsible for a dog's death and felt guilty, digging a grave for the animal when he slipped into the reservoir. He then saw a bloody ghost dragging a body, which he later identified as a "gravekeeper" from earlier.

• He thought he had seen a ghost when he witnessed Oh Gi-wan dragging a body, which led to him calling the police, though they couldn’t uncover the truth. He also recognized a Sotae-91 tattoo on the victim's wrist.

Shin Eui-teum:

• A classmate and member of the writing club during middle school alongside Je Moon-jae.

• Known for his upright personality, Shin Eui-teum stood apart from the corrupt actions of his peers. He was called 'Twigi' due to his moral integrity.

• Lived with his mother, a civil servant, while his father was often said to be on a business trip abroad. However, it was later revealed that his father was an illegal immigrant from Pakistan who had been deported due to gambling and immigration issues.

• Unlike Han Joong-pil, who involved the writing club members in unethical activities, Shin Eui-teum always refused to participate in Han Joong-pil's schemes. For example, when Han Joong-pil suggested stealing adult movies from a rental store to raise money for a settlement, Shin Eui-teum was the only one who refused to be part of it.

• Due to his appearance resembling a "field mouse," there were speculations that he might be the Field Mouse. However, this theory was dispelled when he reunited with Je Moon-jae, confirming that he was not the Field Mouse.

• It was revealed that Shin Eui-teum's father had been deported to Pakistan after being caught gambling and living there illegally. His mother had to work at an apiary to support the family.

• In the epilogue, Shin Eui-teum is shown attending a funeral, though his role in the overarching plot is more symbolic at this stage.

Park Ji-woong:
 

• Another classmate of Je Moon-jae and member of the writing club in middle school. He had a difficult upbringing and served time in juvenile detention.

• Park Ji-woong lived with his grandmother, as his family circumstances were challenging. He was placed in juvenile detention after failing to pay a settlement fee due to the actions of the writing club.

• Quiet and reserved, Park Ji-woong spent much of his time in school lying face down on his desk. When awake, his gaze could be sharp, suggesting a hidden intensity.

• Park Ji-woong tried to stand up for the writing club members when they were being beaten by Shin Hae-seok due to Han Joong-pil’s fraudulent acts. He intervened and saved the members but was later sued by Shin Hae-seok, which led to his sentence.

• After his release, he reunites with Je Moon-jae. He confesses to having been part of a plan to trouble Je Moon-jae. He reveals the corruption within the writing club and the death of Oh Gi-wan.

• It’s revealed that four people had conspired to kill Je Moon-jae: Han Joong-pil, Shin Eui-teum, Lee Geum-seok, and Kim Seong-pyo.

• Park Ji-woong is tragically shot and killed by ambushed gunners, sealing his fate in the story.

Oh Gi-wan:

• A classmate and member of the writing club with Je Moon-jae during middle school. Oh Gi-wan was a repeat student, having been held back for two years. His father frequently visited the police station, indicating a troubled home life. Oh Gi-wan himself had a history of bad behavior, such as stealing and robbing elementary school students shortly after transferring to the school.

• Oh Gi-wan had a fondness for martial arts novels, though he struggled with his shooting training. His peers in the writing club called him “Ogi.”

• Oh Gi-wan’s behavior and background made him a suspicious figure. He was involved in the attempted murder of Je Moon-jae by the writing club members, a pivotal moment in the series. However, it is revealed that he was eventually killed by someone, and his name disappeared from the school’s attendance list during the semester.

• According to Han Joong-pil’s testimony, Oh Gi-wan was believed to be the Field Mouse. This idea became more plausible as the series progressed. It was revealed that the body found was not actually Oh Gi-wan’s, but rather his father's. The body, which had been burned and was wearing a school uniform, was mistakenly identified as Oh Gi-wan's by Park Ji-woong, Lee Geum-seok, and Kim Seong-pyo. The one responsible for setting the fire and killing Oh Gi-wan’s father was Oh Gi-wan himself, who had killed his father before disappearing.

• Oh Gi-wan’s disappearance was not due to death but because he went missing after the attempted murder of Je Moon-jae, which was consistent with Han Joong-pil’s account of the events.

• It was revealed that Oh Gi-wan was actually an orphan with no known relatives. His adopted guardian, his father, was a violent abuser who physically and sexually mistreated him. This led to emotional and psychological trauma, leaving him emotionally numb.

• A particularly shocking detail was the connection between Je Moon-jae and Oh Gi-wan. Je Moon-jae, in his emotional distress after being abandoned by his father, had a memory of his own abandonment, which was a foreshadowing of the truth about Oh Gi-wan. It turned out that Je Moon-jae was Oh Gi-wan’s childhood companion. Je Moon-jae’s family had originally adopted Oh Gi-wan before Je Moon-jae was born, but after Je Moon-jae’s birth, the family lost interest in Oh Gi-wan and eventually abandoned him at Sotae Amusement Park.

• After hearing Je Moon-jae’s childhood story during a writing assignment, Oh Gi-wan was struck by how similar the experience described by Je Moon-jae was to his own painful past. This led him to revisit Sotae Amusement Park, the site where he was abandoned as a child. Overcome with emotion, he attacked Je Moon-jae and killed him, as Je Moon-jae’s cries triggered painful memories of his own abandonment.

• After killing (attepmting) Je Moon-jae, Oh Gi-wan returned to his home and killed his abusive father, before burning the house down in an attempt to cover up the crime.

• The Sotae-91, the number engraved on the Field Mouse’s wrist, is significant - it refers to the address of Sotae Amusement Park, the place where Oh Gi-wan was abandoned as a child.

• Oh Gi-wan’s actions were driven by a deep emotional wound from his past - his trauma from being abandoned, mistreated, and forgotten. His eventual breakdown, driven by memories of his childhood, led to his violent actions, marking him as one of the most tragic and conflicted characters in the series.

Kim Sung-pyo:
 

• Kim Sung-pyo was a classmate and member of the writing club with Je Moon-jae during middle school. He was known for being quiet and serious, with a poker face that rarely smiled. He claimed to have a rare disease, explaining that he spent more time in the hospital than at school as a child.

• Kim Sung-pyo admits that the rare disease was a lie. The truth is that he suffered from autism and anxiety attacks, which led him to spend his childhood in a psychiatric hospital on the outskirts of the island. After being discharged, he continued taking medication, which led to him being labeled as a drug addict, resulting in teasing from others. He had to live with this label throughout middle and high school.

• Kim Sung-pyo reunites with Je Moon-jae. He resents Je Moon-jae for not intervening or helping him during his difficult times, especially during the essay club assignment incident that contributed to his labeling as mentally ill.

Lee Geum-seok:

• Lee Geum-seok was a classmate and member of the writing club with Je Moon-jae. He was known for his kind heart and inability to harm even the smallest creatures. Throughout elementary school, he was teased by his bigger friends because of his feminine appearance and behavior but never retaliated, instead laughing it off.

• It is revealed that Lee Geum-seok, along with the other writing club members, was involved in a shady operation where they rented out adult videos to students. This incident was one of the main sources of the corruption among the writing club members.

• Lee Geum-seok’s sexual preferences are revealed after the essay club assignment incident. He is outed as homosexual, which leads to further teasing from the other club members, including Je Moon-jae.

• Lee Geum-seok’s guilt and fear of being killed for his involvement in the attempted murder of Je Moon-jae weigh heavily on him. This leads to his suicide, where he jumps to his death on a rock near the reservoir, the same location where the attempted murder occurred.

• Initially, Lee Geum-seok is considered one of the main suspects for the identity of the field rat due to his appearance and silhouette matching the field rat's. However, the true identity of the field rat is revealed to be Oh Gi-wan, clearing Lee Geum-seok of any involvement.

Kim Min-woo:

• Kim Min-woo was a classmate of Je Moon-jae and a member of the writing club. He is briefly mentioned in Je Moon-jae’s flashbacks. Kim Min-woo was part of a special class and hasn’t appeared in the storyline since his initial mention.

• In the epilogue, it is revealed that the detective classmate who assisted Je Moon-jae with the field rat case after Park Soon-yong’s disappearance was actually Kim Min-woo. This suggests that Kim Min-woo was eliminated by the field rat, with Je Moon-jae recalling that the detective's appearance no longer matched his memory of Kim Min-woo.

• Je Moon-jae comes to the realization that the person helping him isn’t Kim Min-woo, indicating that Kim Min-woo’s fate was somehow tied to the mysterious field rat.

Hwang Dae-jun:

• Hwang Dae-jun was a middle school classmate of Je Moon-jae and an elementary school classmate of Lee Geum-seok. He was also a close friend and same-sex lover of Lee Geum-seok. Hwang Dae-jun first appears when he runs into Je Moon-jae while holding hands with Lee Geum-seok as they try to enter the "bunker."

• Hwang Dae-jun reunites with Je Moon-jae after noticing his name was not included on the absentee list for the alumni reunion.

• Hwang Dae-jun testifies that he hadn’t seen Lee Geum-seok since middle school, and later learned of Lee Geum-seok’s suicide during high school. He reveals that Lee Geum-seok jumped off a rock near a reservoir, the same location where a murder case had occurred. Hwang Dae-jun shares that Lee Geum-seok had confessed to him that he was involved in the attempted murder of Je Moon-jae, felt extreme guilt, and feared for his life, suggesting that Lee Geum-seok might have been killed by someone.

• Hwang Dae-jun mentions that the land near the reservoir has become worthless due to a rumor that circulated during their school days. When Je Moon-jae hears this, he realizes that the rumor was intentionally spread by someone, further adding layers to the mystery surrounding the events.


Oh Cho-hee:

• Oh Cho-hee was the teacher in charge of the writing club during Je Moon-jae’s middle school years. Despite the feminine-sounding name, Oh Cho-hee is actually a man. At the time, he had been a bachelor for 35 years and was reportedly avoided by women due to his unpleasant smell.

• Je Moon-jae was tricked by Han Joong-pil into joining the writing club, with Han Joong-pil exploiting Oh Cho-hee’s feminine name as part of the manipulation.


Shin Hae-seok:

• Shin Hae-seok was a senior at Je Moon-jae's school and a notorious school bully, known for his strength and ability to subdue members of the sports clubs. He had a reputation for being violent.

• At one point, Shin Hae-seok was infected with rabies and was hospitalized in a downtown hospital. After recovering, he suddenly returned to school and brutally assaulted members of the writing club who were resting in the gym storage room.

• The incident was eventually settled thanks to Park Ji-woong’s fight, and after this, Shin Hae-seok was no longer seen at school.