In Episode 9 of Phantom Lawyer, So-hyun still has I-rang at the amusement park. Na-hyun has a rare happy moment with her sister, but the mood changes when it starts to rain. Na-hyun remembers I-rang’s earlier warning that splashing water on his face would break the possession, so she knows their time is running out. She hugs So-hyun and cries because she doesn’t want to let go.
I-rang quickly takes back control. He grabs Na-hyun’s hand and they run through the rain before he drives her home. She learns along the way that a ghost can possess someone when they come across something they really love or really hate—something that neither I-rang nor So-hyun can control.
Na-hyun tells I-rang to stay the night. They hang out together and watch a show she hasn’t finished yet and play Monopoly, which is one of So-hyun’s favorite games. So-hyun takes over the game for a short time, stopping I-rang from playfully hitting Na-hyun. They made a list of things So-hyun wanted to do and planned to do them all before going to bed the next day.
Chairman Yang comes back from the United States in another place. Do-gyeong sets up a meeting for the whole company, but the chairman doesn’t seem to care about the formalities and goes out to eat instead. He goes to Kyung-hwa’s restaurant, which surprises Do-gyeong. It comes out that they have a history together through Kyung-hwa’s late husband. The chairman says he’s sorry for not helping I-rang’s father and for turning down I-rang’s application to the law firm. When he finds out that I-rang now owns his own business, he leaves his card and says he can help if needed.
So-hyun takes over I-rang’s body again the next day and spends the day with Na-hyun, crossing things off her bucket list. They go camping, ride in a hot air balloon, and tour a palace in hanbok. As the day comes to an end, So-hyun suggests going to a bar because she thinks that people show their true feelings when they are drunk. She wants to know what Na-hyun is really thinking.
They order fried chicken at the bar, and So-hyun gets I-rang back. She asks Na-hyun why she has been avoiding their parents, but Na-hyun changes the subject and says she is too busy. Na-hyun makes an excuse to leave because she is too busy. So-hyun gives I-rang back control by using water and telling him to comfort Na-hyun while she steps away.
Na-hyun has a hard time accepting that So-hyun is leaving and wonders if there is any way she can stay. I-rang tells her that she wouldn’t be able to see or talk to So-hyun without him. Later, Na-hyun goes home alone and tries to recreate times with her sister by playing games and eating ice cream, but she can’t take the emptiness anymore and breaks down in the shower.
In the meantime, I-rang confronts Kyung-hwa, who is getting a gift ready for Chairman Yang. He won’t accept an apology that comes decades too late, remembering how they left his father and didn’t go to his funeral. He tells her not to talk about his father again.
Later, I-rang comes home to find So-hyun there. She feels bad about watching Na-hyun try to keep her busy and thinks that leaving is the best thing to do. Before she does that, she tries to bring her family back together. She sends Na-hyun to their parents’ house to get her favorite food, which leads to a long-overdue talk.
Their mother blamed Na-hyun for So-hyun’s death, which is why they don’t get along. Na-hyun thought she was to blame because she had felt guilty for so long. Their mother is truly sorry and admits that she is sad and didn’t help her daughter. The family makes up by giving So-hyun a group hug, which was her last wish.
I-rang feels bad about what she did and tells Kyung-hwa she’s sorry. She also says she’ll take her gift to Chairman Yang. The chairman offers him a job at Taebaek, but I-rang says no. He runs into Do-gyeong on his way out, and she is still angry. I-rang tells him not to pay too much attention to him, bringing up the pen recording that he sent that made him look bad.
I-rang and her family celebrate Na-hyun’s birthday the next Saturday. He agrees to eat a dish So-hyun wanted to try, even though he is allergic to pork. He takes medicine first. Na-hyun and So-hyun spend time together in their old room that night. Later, Na-hyun gets a message from I-rang, but it’s So-hyun saying goodbye. She thinks about the best times they had together before finally letting go.
On the roof, I-rang tells So-hyun to say goodbye to Na-hyun one last time, but she doesn’t want to because she thinks she won’t be able to leave if she sees her again. Na-hyun gets there before they can set fire to the talisman. She thanks them for their time together and promises to be happy from now on. She lets her sister go and wishes her peace. She hopes they can be together again in another life.
After that, I-rang asks Na-hyun to share an office with him and help him with his cases. A mysterious visitor shows up at his office at the end of the episode.
Review of the Episode
Episode 9 takes a very emotional look at grief, guilt, and making up. It shows how putting the blame on the wrong person can hurt families even more than losing someone. Na-hyun’s mother’s words made a lasting divide, which supports the idea that emotional wounds can hurt more than physical ones.
The family finally gets closure thanks to I-rang’s help, which lets So-hyun say goodbye and move on. The episode is a sad reminder to value your loved ones and settle your differences before it’s too late.
The story about Chairman Yang and I-rang’s past also shows how important it is to forgive. I-rang has been carrying a lot of anger, and Kyung-hwa’s point of view helps him let go and accept that people can let us down.
The story, on the other hand, suggests that the chairman may have had something to do with what happened to I-rang’s father. As the story goes on, more important truths are likely to come to light, making way for more revelations in the future.