Episode 1 of Family By Choice opens in 2003, introducing Ju-won, a primary school student, being picked up by her father, Jung-jae, after school. When kids at school tease Ju-won about her father being a “widower,” she learns the word from their neighbor, Madam. While walking home, Ju-won asks her father for a friend (oppa) to play with since he is often busy with work. Around the same time, a new family moves into the neighborhood, including a boy named San-ha, which excites Ju-won, who now hopes for a new playmate.
However, San-ha’s family carries its own grief. His mother, Jung-hee, and father, Dae-wook, are still reeling from the tragic death of San-ha’s sister, So-hee. Jung-hee blames San-ha for the incident, causing tension within the family. Later that night, after overhearing his parents fighting, San-ha is found sitting on the stairs by Ju-won and Jung-jae, who invite him over to watch TV. San-ha declines, feeling the weight of his family’s struggles.
The next day, Jung-jae learns from Madam that San-ha’s mother holds him responsible for his sister’s death, making Jung-jae concerned for the boy. After school, San-ha returns to a house strewn with beer bottles from his grieving mother. He recalls the painful memories of his sister’s passing while attempting to make himself a meal, eating uncooked ramen on the stairs where Ju-won spots him. Though she invites him over again, he refuses, feeling distant.
Meanwhile, a new family arrives in the neighborhood—Seo-hyun and her son, Hae-joon. A chance encounter with Jung-jae leaves both Seo-hyun and Hae-joon at his house, with Madam attempting to matchmake Seo-hyun with Ju-won’s father. Ju-won, however, resists the idea, upset at the possibility of gaining a stepmother when all she wants is an older brother. She also lashes out at Hae-joon, refusing to bond with him initially.
Later, when Ju-won sees San-ha being bullied at school, she steps in to defend him, and Hae-joon joins the fray, resulting in a fight. All three children are brought home, and Jung-jae intervenes, making sure the bully apologizes to San-ha. This impresses Hae-joon, and Seo-hyun notices the connection between her son and Jung-jae. San-ha is invited to lunch, where he finally enjoys a hearty meal with Ju-won and Hae-joon.
As the day progresses, Ju-won and San-ha bond while playing at the park. That night, Ju-won talks to San-ha about their late mothers and sisters, deepening their connection. Meanwhile, Seo-hyun faces personal struggles, receiving a distressing call that heightens her tension, while San-ha returns home to his usual routine of cleaning and reflecting on his lost family.
The next day, Jung-jae grows concerned when Seo-hyun doesn’t reach out, prompting Madam to question what went wrong with the supposed matchmaking. Seo-hyun, in the meantime, leaves Hae-joon with her sister, trying to settle down in Seoul. At the same time, Dae-wook stops by Jung-jae’s restaurant, where Ju-won asks him if San-ha can regularly join them for meals. Dae-wook is shocked to learn that San-ha has already been eating with them.
As time passes, the bonds between Ju-won, San-ha, and Hae-joon grow stronger. San-ha finds comfort in the handmade noodles Jung-jae prepares, while Seo-hyun reaches out to Jung-jae, requesting to borrow money and revealing that Hae-joon is staying with her sister. Jung-jae visits Hae-joon’s temporary home and is appalled by the conditions, offering Hae-joon a warm meal and a temporary home until Seo-hyun returns.
On their way home, Ju-won and San-ha discuss their families’ grief, and Jung-hee, at home, tears apart the family photo, still grappling with the loss of So-hee. Dae-wook arrives home to find Jung-hee in a drunken state, triggering a heated argument that San-ha overhears. Feeling responsible, San-ha promises his mother never to interact with Ju-won or her father again, begging her to stay with their family.
At the same time, Ju-won is furious when Jung-jae brings Hae-joon home and even more upset when Hae-joon asks if he can call Jung-jae “dad.” She throws a tantrum, feeling as though her family is being invaded.
The next day, San-ha tells Ju-won he will never visit her home again. Meanwhile, Jung-hee leaves the house, walking away as San-ha watches her go. Ju-won, feeling protective, asks if San-ha can live with her and become her brother. Jung-hee agrees, leaving her son in Ju-won’s care but to San-ha, he knows she has abandoned him.
Months pass, and the trio—Ju-won, San-ha, and Hae-joon—begin to bond as they play together. The story then fast-forwards to 2013, where the three are now high school students. They share breakfast as a family, with Jung-jae and Dae-wook, and Ju-won proposes signing an adoption contract to make them an official family. San-ha jokes that this would make him her uncle, while Ju-won is determined to unite them under the same last name.
Episode 2 of Family By Choice opens with Ju-won, Hae-joon, and San-ha riding the bus to high school. Ju-won reflects on how she became the go-between for her two brothers. Since middle school, girls would give her gifts to pass on to them, often questioning if they were related due to their different last names. Determined to stop being bullied, Ju-won decides they need to share the same last name.
On the bus, Hae-joon encourages Ju-won to fight back against the bullies, while San-ha advises her to report the situation to the teacher instead. Ignoring San-ha’s advice, Hae-joon teaches Ju-won how to stand up to the girls. At school, two girls accuse Ju-won of keeping them away from San-ha and Hae-joon because of her own feelings for them.
When one of the girls pushes Ju-won, she takes Hae-joon’s advice and drags the girl to the school pond, jumping in herself, which gains her sympathy from other students. The bully calls her crazy, but classmates begin to take Ju-won’s side. Hae-joon and San-ha rush to help when they hear about the incident, and San-ha scares the bullies away, taking Ju-won and Hae-joon home.
After school, San-ha is upset with Hae-joon for encouraging Ju-won to retaliate. They take the bus home, but when it starts raining, they run the rest of the way. At a convenience store, some elderly neighbors ask Hae-joon about his mother’s return, prompting San-ha to defend him, while Ju-won confronts the neighbors about treating them as unfortunate kids.
That night, Ju-won again brings up the idea of adoption, telling Jung-jae and Dae-wook how the neighbors had said hurtful things. Meanwhile, San-ha ignores a phone call from his maternal grandmother, and Dae-wook steps out to answer a call from her. Ju-won avoids telling her father about the school incident, and they all try to cheer San-ha up, though he retreats to his upstairs apartment. Ju-won comments that San-ha’s grandmother has no business interfering, as his mother, Jung-hee, has remarried and started a new family.
Later, Jung-jae suggests Dae-wook stand up to his ex-mother-in-law and move on. The two friends bicker while Ju-won and Hae-joon try to cheer up San-ha. Eventually, they succeed, but he asks them to focus on their studies and shoos them out of his room. As they leave, Ju-won teases San-ha, calling him “oppa” for fun, and they share a lighthearted moment.
The next day, San-ha tells his school counselor he plans to attend a local college to stay close to his family. The counselor urges him to apply to a top university, but San-ha insists that the quality of education is the same. At the same time, Ju-won’s friend, Dal, informs her that rumors are spreading about her being crazy, but Ju-won is unfazed and even happy about it.
Dal and Ju-won spot San-ha entering the music room with a classmate named Hui-ju. Dal assumes they are dating, which upsets Ju-won. Inside the music room, San-ha advises Hui-ju that they shouldn’t be seen together to avoid rumors. Hui-ju expresses frustration over San-ha not applying to a prestigious university, further complicating their relationship.
Ju-won starts ignoring San-ha after school, thinking he’s hiding his relationship with Hui-ju. When San-ha confronts her, Ju-won accuses him of keeping secrets because they aren’t a “real” family. San-ha, hurt, points out that they can’t change the fact they aren’t related by blood and believes Ju-won’s insecurity is causing the rift between them.
Meanwhile, Hae-joon is caught up in a strange encounter when a man starts taking photos of him at basketball tryouts. Hae-joon chases the man, who drops his camera and runs away. Inside the camera, Hae-joon finds photos of himself and wonders if his mother sent the man to track him.
That evening, Hae-joon’s aunt, Yi-hyun, visits and brings gifts. However, Madam causes a scene, accusing Yi-hyun of abandoning Hae-joon. When Madam criticizes Jung-jae for taking responsibility for Hae-joon, he firmly states it was his decision to care for him. Outside, Hae-joon offers to pay for Yi-hyun’s cab ride, but she advises him to use the money wisely and avoid being a burden.
Hae-joon recalls how Jung-jae stood up for him when people accused him of being a burden in the past. At dinner, the family senses Ju-won is upset, and San-ha explains they had an argument. Jung-jae scolds Ju-won for causing trouble with San-ha, but San-ha later apologizes, promising to be more open with her and Hae-joon in the future.
The next day, San-ha teases Hae-joon, while Hui-ju tries to reconcile with Hae-joon who turned out was her ex. He refuses, reminding her that she broke up with him to pursue San-ha. Later, Hui-ju attempts to befriend Ju-won, but Ju-won becomes frustrated when Hui-ju brings up her lack of a blood connection with Hae-joon. The two argue, and Ju-won scolds Hui-ju for stirring up trouble.
Hui-ju tries to turn the situation against Ju-won by pretending to be the victim, but San-ha steps in to defend Ju-won, threatening to expose Hui-ju’s behavior and prevent her from getting into her desired university.
That night, the family shares dinner together, with the kids enjoying fried chicken on the rooftop. Hae-joon buys Ju-won a cake to make amends for not defending her earlier. The next day, Ju-won’s friend, Dal, confesses she has a crush on Hae-joon and asks to attend his basketball game.
In another development, Hae-joon discovers that the man who took photos of him has retrieved his camera. When he spots a woman he thinks is his mother, he gives chase, only to be embarrassed when Dal sees him. He then takes her out to eat and ensures she doesn’t tell anyone about what she saw hinting he would get pissed at her.
San-ha and Ju-won, meanwhile, share a quiet meal, with Ju-won teasing San-ha again. The episode ends with a twist—Hae-joon’s father arrives at school, revealing his identity during a visit to the basketball court.
Family by Choice delivers a promising start, blending emotional resonance with moments of lightheartedness and intrigue. It’s a heartfelt portrayal of how family can be formed through connection rather than blood, making it both touching and relatable.