Episode 2 begins with a flashback to eight years in the past. A youthful Ji-uk goes to see his grandmother at a nursing facility. The elderly woman, who has a habit of using vulgar language, appears to be on her deathbed due to her addiction to smoking cigarettes. While conversing, she expresses sadness about her daughter getting pregnant early and advises him to wed a respectable and humble woman.
Back in the current moment. Hae-yeong, who is intoxicated, requests Ji-uk to become her husband. Although she tries to play it off as a joke, he still turns her down. Ji-uk is seen remembering the conflicts she had with her past partners: one who took advantage of her food and supplies, and another who was not giving in bed.
While at work, Yi-lin texts Hae-yeong, requesting a word. While she was heading to meet her, another coworker of Hae-yeong mentioned that Yi-lin and Gyu-heon’s mothers had a close friendship. Therefore, she has a strong bond with him and his family. In the meantime, Gyu-heon persists in preventing Ha-jun from changing departments, as he was the sole male applicant for the secretary position and his mother forbids him from hiring women.
Following Yi-lin’s departure, Hae-yeong warns Woo-jae to abandon the plan or she will expose their secrets. He threatens her with blackmail, promising to ensure the scandal portrays her as the antagonist. As a form of revenge, she halts the elevator he boards and confidently declares her victory in the competition, attributing it to her upcoming wedding in a month.
Upon realizing she needs a groom to marry, Hae-yeong returns to the grocery store and requests Ji-uk to be her spouse. A counterfeit one, simply for the purpose of strolling down the aisle. Naturally, he declines.
At home, Hae-yeong looks through the weddings her mother went to and decides to invite those guests to receive financial gifts. Upon learning about it, Hui-seong becomes furious and expresses that she cannot exploit their mother in such a way. Hae-yeong insists she is the biological mother, causing Hui-seong to angrily leave. Ja-yeon attempts to convince her to return, but Hui-seong claims that Hae-yeong has never viewed them as true family.
During a flashback, Hae-yeong witnesses his mother bringing Ja-yeon home. She contends that her mother has never displayed any interest in her. Ja-yeon’s disappointment is still vivid in her memory. While heading back, Hui-seong gazes at a photo of Producer Yun on her mobile device. In other places, he appears to be in a romantic relationship with a different woman.
In the morning, Ji-uk engages in a verbal dispute with a man wearing a black suit. At approximately the same time, Hae-yeong visits wedding locations and food service providers, accidentally leaving her phone at a store.
Hui-seong, employed as a voice actor, is currently in a recording studio with Producer Yun. Later, she notices the earring of the other woman on the couch but chooses to disregard it on purpose. Afterwards, she receives a phone call from a number she doesn’t recognize.
In the end, Hae-yeong discovers she forgot her phone and hurries back to retrieve it. She notices an urgent message from the nursing home. Her mother is experiencing sudden and intense outbursts. Hae-yeong quickly goes to the location and witnesses Hui-seong stopping her mother during a seizure.
Once their mother is asleep once more, Hae-yeong informs Hui-seong that she was also caught off guard by the situation. Unexpectedly, one day her mother phoned Hae-yeong to inform her that she had dementia, but there was no need to be concerned. She had already placed herself in a nursing facility. It has been one year already. Hae-yeong provided Hui-seong’s contact information as an alternative because she is also her child. Both of them subsequently say sorry and reconcile with one another.
Hui-seong warns Hae-yeong against getting married again, but Hae-yeong thinks she is too unlovable to make a true love connection. She also desires for her mother to witness her wedding before her mental state deteriorates further.
Hui-seong recounts the conversation to Ja-yeon while they stroll down the street, and Ji-uk accidentally listens in. Ji-uk notices the man in the black suit who visits his store and also sees Hae-yeong’s husband’s advertisement on his phone. The man teases Ha Yeong for searching for a spouse through advertising. Ji uk becomes enraged, deliberately dropping and smashing the phone before receiving a retaliatory punch in the face.
Ji-uk intercepts Hae-yeong on her way to work in the morning. He takes cover under her umbrella as it starts raining. He approaches her and inquires if she senses anything. Hae-yeong has a stutter, but still denies the feelings. He embraces her and questions if she still doesn’t feel anything, to which she anxiously confirms. Afterward, he consents to marry her on the condition that she allows a stray cat, the one Ji-uk has been looking after outside the store, to stay in their house. She doesn’t like cats, but she concedes.
The following day, Hae-yeong goes shopping for her wedding gown. While on her journey, she visits the supermarket and inquires about Ji-uk’s measurements. He ultimately decides to join in. She inquires about his hug from the other day and he explains it was to see if she had a cat allergy. Hae-yeong believed it was a chemistry exam while Ji-uk was sure he could only harbor dislike towards her. He claims he could never like her as he knows too much about her. Hae yeong simply tells him that the head and the heart are two different things. He could end up falling without knowing.
At the clothing store, Hae-yeong puts on an overly extravagant dress. When Ji-uk inquires about the reason, she explains that she is concerned about how he will be remembered, fearing it could negatively impact his promising future. Somewhere else, Ja-yeon encounters Gyu-heon’s mother, who is a devoted fan of her books. She compliments Ja-yeon’s efforts. When Gyu-heon and Ha-jun arrive at the hotel, both women conceal themselves since they knwo them.
Abruptly, as Ji-uk is putting on a tuxedo, Woo-jae and Yi-lin enter the store. Hae-yeong hopes they won’t spot Ji-uk, but he appears and, to her astonishment and the others, he looks incredibly handsome in the black tuxedo.
In the epilogue of Episode 2 of No Gain No Love, three girlfriends are seen talking about the upcoming wedding. Hui-seong regrets not selecting a more attractive groom. However, Hae-yeong insists that she cannot date someone who is good-looking because they will stand out in people’s memories, and she prefers someone who is average and easily forgotten. I don’t think that’s happening.
So this is a very good drama and I’m loving it so far. What do you think?