In Episode 7 of No Gain No Love, the story picks up from the previous episode’s drunken dinner. Gyu-hyun, Ha-jun, and Yi-lin carry the intoxicated trio—Hae-yeong, Ji-uk, and Woo-jae—to their hotel rooms. In a twist, Woo-jae drunkenly stumbles into Hae-yeong and Ji-uk’s room, leading to the three of them waking up awkwardly in the same bed the next morning.
Yi-lin shows up and scolds Woo-jae for disturbing the couple. Then she drops a bombshell—due to the positive PR Hae-yeong and Ji-uk have brought to the company, she’s arranged for them to stay together at work. Woo-jae is now the head of a second team in Hae-yeong’s department, with Ji-uk reporting to him to avoid conflicts of interest.
Later, in a vulnerable moment, Hae-yeong admits to Ji-uk that she regrets getting married due to the mess they’ve landed in. This visibly hurts Ji-uk, but he promises that he’ll give her a divorce whenever she asks. Unbeknownst to them, Woo-jae overhears the entire conversation, adding another layer of tension.
Meanwhile, Ji-uk returns home to find a mysterious visitor—Manager Jang. Ji-uk has accepted a new job but insists he doesn’t want to be involved beyond that. He also plans to move out of his current apartment. Elsewhere, Hae-yeong heads to Tae-hyeong’s studio to meet Hui-seong, but instead catches Tae-hyeong embracing another woman. Just as she’s about to confront him, Hui-seong intervenes, revealing she’s in a polyamorous relationship with Tae-hyeong.
Hae-yeong is stunned and struggles to understand how one can love multiple people at once. This leads to a heartfelt discussion, where Hui-seong reassures her that as long as she has the support of Ja-yeon and Hae-yeong, she’s not concerned about what others think.
Meanwhile, Gyu-hyun faces more family issues when his father confronts him over a news article about a Kkulbee employee who faked having children to exploit company benefits. This adds to the stress Gyu-hyun is already dealing with, but he continues to put up a strong front.
As for Hae-yeong, she’s grappling with her feelings for Ji-uk. Hui-seong warns her that Woo-jae knows how she acts when she’s in love and could easily see through her pretense with Ji-uk. Taking this to heart, Hae-yeong confides in Ji-uk and practices romantic gestures with him to make their relationship look convincing. Despite her efforts to keep things fake, the butterflies she feels are real. At work, she even pretends that Ji-uk made her lunch, deepening the illusion of their bond.
Hae-yeong then learns from a colleague that HR is keeping a close eye on employees, so she decides that Ji-uk should move into her house to make their fake marriage seem more genuine. She takes him to clean out a small room on the rooftop, where Ji-uk stumbles upon a photograph of himself with Hae-yeong’s mother, triggering a flashback to a visit he made to her house nine years ago.
Meanwhile, Gyu-hyun continues his efforts to help at the orphanage, enlisting Ha-jun’s assistance with drying clothes using the new dryers he donated. This act of kindness sparks Ja-yeon’s curiosity about his intentions. When Gyu-hyun asks about the name of the main character in her story, Ha-jun, she shyly admits that it’s based on her crush. Their relationship becomes even more complex as Gyu-hyun makes sure Ha-jun doesn’t see Ja-yeon when they cross paths.
The next day, Gyu-hyun notices that Ja-yeon has gone on a writing hiatus and hasn’t responded to any of his messages. He soon discovers that Hae-yeong has invited Ha-jun to a housewarming dinner, and Ja-yeon is part of her family. Desperate to attend, Gyu-hyun tries to get an invite through Ji-uk, but his attempt fails.
Back at home, Hui-seong and Ja-yeon throw themselves into preparing for the housewarming party. Ja-yeon is hesitant about seeing Ha-jun again, but they go ahead with the preparations. When the guests arrive, Hae-yeong and Ji-uk put on the perfect act of being a happy married couple. However, when Ji-uk’s friend Gi-un boasts about how popular Ji-uk is and how many women are upset that he’s married, Hae-yeong feels a pang of guilt.
After the party, Hae-yeong apologizes to Ji-uk, saying that because of their situation, he can’t live the life of a normal single man and date other women. Ji-uk, in response, asks if she really wants him to date others, to which she reluctantly nods. He then confesses, somewhat accidentally, that his heart and body are both with her, hinting at his growing feelings.
Later that night, Hae-yeong can’t stop thinking about Ji-uk’s words. Inspired by Hui-seong’s earlier advice about life being too short, she heads upstairs to Ji-uk’s room and kisses him, taking a bold step toward embracing her true feelings.
The episode closes with an epilogue showing a flashback of Hae-yeong and Ji-uk drunk in their hotel room. Ji-uk helps Hae-yeong take off her necklace, and when she’s about to remove her wedding ring, he asks her to keep it on. He confesses that as long as she wears the ring, she’s on his side, and he even bought his own ring because he wanted her to be by his side. The moment ends with Hae-yeong smiling, finding Ji-uk’s sincerity endearing.
No Gain No Love Episode 7 delivers a mix of humor, emotional depth, and unexpected twists. The drunken mishaps provide lighthearted moments, but the episode shines in its exploration of complicated relationships. Hae-yeong’s internal struggle with her fake marriage to Ji-uk slowly turns into something real, while Ji-uk’s quiet devotion is both touching and sincere. The introduction of polyamory and workplace conflicts adds layers to the plot, keeping the audience engaged. The episode ends on a romantic note, leaving viewers eager to see how these evolving relationships unfold.
