Dear Hongrang Episode 2: Jae-yi and Hong-rang Confront the Snow Man’s Trail

Dear Hongrang Episode 2 continues with Hong-rang and his loyal aide, In-hoe, searching for a missing child named Seol-ki. Their quest leads them to a dark, underground slave auction. Meanwhile, Jae-yi investigates on her own, spending time with streetwise sleuths. They speculate that Seol-ki’s case mirrors Hong-rang’s disappearance—except this time, a maid claims to have seen a white-haired ghost. Determined, Jae-yi and her sleuth friends impersonate officers to infiltrate Seol-ki’s household. During the chaos, Jae-yi discovers the maid buried alive as punishment. They save her and hide her in a cave. The maid recounts her sighting of the white-haired ghost, which reminds Jae-yi of a dream Little Hong-rang once had.

Elsewhere, Hong-rang and In-hoe bust the child trafficking ring. In-hoe frees the captives while Hong-rang confronts the auctioneer, who tells him that the mysterious “Snow Man” kidnapped Seol-ki. This rattles Hong-rang—he remembers the same ghost from his childhood. After setting the auctioneer on fire, he vows to find the Snow Man and uncover the truth about his past. Flashbacks show him as a terrified child fleeing from this spectral figure.

Meanwhile, Jae-yi is consumed with guilt. A flashback reveals that Little Hong-rang had tried to warn her about seeing the Snow Man three months before vanishing, but she dismissed it. Now, the rescued children are sent to safety, and one boy tells Hong-rang that both he and Seol-ki were held in a room that smelled of ink. The boy was released for being “useless,” but this clue convinces Hong-rang that the same people who abducted him are behind this.

Back home, Mu-jin urges their father, Sim Yeol-guk, to investigate Hong-rang’s past. As usual, Min Yeon-ui wants Mu-jin out of the family. Yeol-guk refuses, and she threatens him, reminding him that all his power came from her father. Still, Yeol-guk holds the title of Grandmaster and Mu-jin is the guild’s chief merchant. Removing them would doom the guild and leave Hong-rang with nothing. The power struggle remains unresolved.

Later, Yeon-ui takes Hong-rang to a temple and is thrilled when he bows before a painting of her father, claiming he remembers sitting on his lap and the scent of pine—something only her real son would know. Even Mu-jin begins to doubt his suspicions. But Jae-yi remains skeptical, accusing Hong-rang of perfecting his act. Their argument escalates, and he accidentally rips a blanket she is washing.

Later, the cook notes how Hong-rang eats sweets the same way Little Hong-rang did. He asks about Jae-yi’s cold demeanor, and we learn more about her harsh upbringing. A flashback shows a young Hong-rang as the only person attending Jae-yi’s mother’s memorial, with Yeon-ui later beating Jae-yi for “polluting” her son.

That night, Hong-rang dreams of the mysterious painter again. He sees Jae-yi leaving and follows her to a cave where she mourns her mother, pleading for Hong-rang’s return because she feels so alone.

Meanwhile, Cho Bang-suk, the thug, identifies Jae-yi and assumes Mu-jin is romantically involved with his own sister. He plans to blackmail the Sim family, instructing his henchman to gather proof.

Unfortunately, Jae-yi is trying to help the rescued maid, Jjo-kkan, flee the city. Both Hong-rang and Bang-suk’s man witness them. Jjo-kkan reveals she saw a partial tattoo on the Snow Man’s neck that said “One.” Elsewhere, Mu-jin tracks down one of Hong-rang’s former military comrades. The man is terrified, calling Hong-rang a “soul reaper” known for ruthless killings.

Mu-jin rushes home and puts a sword to Hong-rang’s neck before he can question Jae-yi about the maid. Hong-rang only smiles and covers for him when Yeol-guk walks in. Once alone, Mu-jin pleads with Jae-yi to stay away from Hong-rang.

Meanwhile, Bang-suk brutally interrogates Jjo-kkan until she divulges what she knows. He spreads rumors that the Snow Man appears during rain at a child’s grave. Jae-yi takes the bait, preparing a plan with her sleuths and asking Mu-jin to handle security.

During the rainstorm, Jae-yi receives a mysterious note: the tattoo reads “One Death” and includes a map leading to a grave. Believing it to be Hong-rang’s real burial site, she heads out alone without Mu-jin or her team.

At the end of Dear Hongrang Episode 2, Jae-yi finds Jjo-kkan’s lifeless body at the supposed grave. It’s a trap. Bang-suk attacks, intending to kill her and claim the reward for “discovering” her corpse. Just in time, Hong-rang arrives and slices Bang-suk, warning him never to harm his sister again.