The fifth installment of No Gain No Love starts with Ji-uk being approached by a man in a black suit who threatens to blackmail him. He insists that Ji-uk has to become a new employee at Kkulbee Education, or he will expose Ji-uk’s true identity to her biological mother’s family in Canada, ultimately ruining her marriage with her pastor husband.
The following morning, Hae-yeong is surprised to find Ji-uk among the new hires after he is persuaded to join. Following his hostile greeting to the new hires, Ji-uk takes Hae-yeong aside for a private conversation. He explains to her that he is compelled to do it, but he is unable to reveal the truth to her.
Instead of asking him why he is here, Hae-yeong’s initial inquiry is about why he vanished and did not answer her phone calls. Ji-uk explains that it was because he didn’t want to deceive her about his whereabouts. Afterwards, she cautions him to make sure no one discovers he is her ‘spouse’.
At the same time, Ja-yeon is having lunch with Ha-jun. Gyu-hyun, who is wary of Ja-yeon’s motives due to knowing her identity, watches them closely and contacts Ha-jun to inquire about his connection with her.
The new staff members participate in a brief education event where customers provide feedback to them. Hae-yeong gives Ji-uk a bee outfit and instructs him to amuse the children in order to avoid being assessed and relocated to another company branch. However, the plan fails when he takes off the costume to get some water. All the mothers are drawn to his attractive, sweaty face and give him a favorable rating.
As all of this is occurring, Hae-yeong notices a child close by who is covered in bruises. She becomes aware that he is being mistreated and captures images, but the boy’s father shows up. He attempts to physically seize Hae-yeong’s phone, and when Ji-uk notices, he quickly intervenes and takes on the task himself.
They all arrive at the police station, where Kang Bit-na, the lawyer from Kkulbee company, shows up and assists them. When Hae-yeong inquires about how she knew they were here, her response is somewhat ambiguous. Hae-yeong persuades her to take legal action against the father for the abuse. Afterwards, we observe Bit-na chatting on the phone, and from her discussion we can infer that her intention was to safeguard Ji-uk, not Hae-yeong.
Hae-yeong and Ji-uk are seated at a bus stop, helping each other with their injuries from the fight. Hae-yeong mentions that spending time with the foster children helped her to identify indicators of mistreatment. The unidentified man who was seen before approaches Ji-uk after Hae-yeong departs.
He accompanies Ji-uk to an upscale penthouse and also provides him with a credit card and car keys. Based on a feeling, Ji-uk questions the man about his true paternal relationship. The man humorously jokes about being unable to have children for a long time. Somewhere else, Yun Tae-hyung expresses his desire to marry Hui-seong.
Hae-yeong returns home and shares all the details with her sisters. Hui-seong admits that she was aware the wedding was a mistake. Afterwards, she and Hae-yeong have a conversation on the rooftop about Hui-seong’s reluctance to marry Tae-hyung. She has also delivered Hae-yeong Tae-hyung’s wedding present – a big wedding portrait of her and Ji-uk. Hae-yeong angrily hides it away in the attic. Upon her departure, we come across a vintage photo of her mother and Ji-uk nestled amidst the clutter of boxes.
Things at the Bok home become colder when Bok Gi-ho instructs Gyu-hyun to agree to a new contract stating he will be removed from his job if he tarnishes the company’s image. Jeong-a suggests to Gi-ho that he should sign a document stating that he will step down and transfer all of his possessions to her in the event he harms the company’s image.
In the workplace, Hae-yeong meets her new colleagues – a guy named Park Gi-won and, naturally, Ji-uk. The team convinces Hae-yeong to join them for a dinner that evening.
Ja-yeon visits the police station for her issue and unexpectedly encounters Gyu-hyun outdoors. Throwing his apology letter in his face, she confronts him about the death threats and walks away, telling him to die if he wants to make amends. As Gyu-hyun picks up the papers, he is almost hit by a truck, causing Ja-yeon to scream and faint. He lifts her and brings her to the hospital.
Hae-yeong and her team go out to eat together for their team dinner. Hae-yeong consumes a large amount of alcohol because she is still feeling down about Ji-uk’s presence. She later informs him that if his identity is revealed, she will transition from being a team leader to being known as someone’s spouse. All his faults will be attributed to her.
While on the journey back, Ji-uk attempts to communicate to her that he was happy to see her again regardless of the job offer. However, Hae-yeong has already dozed off. Upon arriving at her residence, they discover Woo-jae passed out inebriated in front of Hae-yeong’s entrance. Ji-uk is eager to contact Yi-lin, but Hae-yeong objects. Ji-uk inquires whether she has moved on from Woo-jae yet.
She asserts that her emotions and the current scenario are her responsibility, prompting Ji-uk to leave. While she attempts to raise Woo-jae, Ji-uk quietly comes back and assists in lifting him.
In the morning, Hae-yeong goes to work and is summoned by Yi-lin, who appears extremely grave. In their office, Gi-won informs Ji-uk that he has reported her for workplace harassment. He listened in on their discussion about how Hae-yeong would be held responsible for his mistakes and concluded that she was harassing him.
Ji-uk quickly goes to the room where Hae-yeong is being interrogated and informs her that she will lose her position. In the conclusion of Episode 5 of No Gain No Love, he enters the room with a sudden outburst, announcing that he is not a victim but rather Hae-yeong’s husband.
This series is so funny and interesting. The main leads are truly a delight to watch. I’m loving how their relationship progresses. Not just them but the second leads. I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us.