In the first episode of Love Next Door, a bunch of friends go on a hiking expedition. Two neighbors showcase their accomplished children – Choi Seung-hyo, a top architect, and Bae Seok-ryu, an employee at a prestigious U.S. firm – making an incredible income. As they argue over their children’s success, Seung-hyo wins an award as a co-founder of an architecture firm, while Bae Seok-ryu unexpectedly comes back to Korea during the excitement about her upcoming marriage.
Baek Seok-ryu is picked up from the airport by Jung Mo-eun, her childhood friend who is the daughter of one of her mother’s friends. They recall memories of their youth while enjoying tteokbokki. It isn’t until Seok-ryu starts hiding from her brother that we recognize the suspicious nature of her abrupt arrival.
Due to Mo-eun’s early departure as a paramedic, Seok-ryu runs into another childhood friend, Seung-hyo while walking around a property that was once a sauna. The location brings back a sad memory of her and Seung being made to bathe together by their mothers in the sauna. Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu are not happy to see each other, it seems they don’t like each other very much.
Following a small argument about Seok-ryu being on Seung-hyo’s land meant for his new office. Seok-ryu decides to hide in a big packing box once her mother and friends come back from their hiking expedition. Her father shows up as well, and Seung-hyo assists Seok-ryu in avoiding her mother through some clever tactics. In order to kill time, she proceeds to sneak into Seung-hyo’s recently constructed office building, almost causing harm to a valuable metal object worth a million dollars that Seung-hyo insists is an ancient artifact. We discover that during their childhood, Seok-ryu frequently caused harm to Seung-hyo without meaning to, as evidenced by the scar on Seung-ho’s back from when Seok-ryu unintentionally pushed him into a barbed wire trap.
Somewhere else, Mo-eun hurries to respond to an urgent call and attempts to deal with a challenging homeless man. The man becomes aggressive and Kang Dan-ho steps in to protect her, but Mo eun proves she can handle the situation and takes control with her incredible skills as a black belt. In the hospital, Kang Dan-ho requests her phone number and name, but she refuses, saying that people often don’t reach out even if given her contact information. Kang Dan ho is amazed as he watches the homeless man read a note from Mo eun before he leaves, urging him to look after his health. Later on, it is disclosed that Kang Dan ho is an author on the lookout for heartwarming stories about everyday individuals.
In the meantime, Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu are on their way home, with Seok-ryu getting ready for a battle by wearing several layers of clothing to shield herself from her harsh mother, as she is aware that she has done something that will undoubtedly result in a punishment.
However, Seok-ryu didn’t expect that her parents, as well as Seung-hyo, would hear her reveal to Seung-hyo that she had called off her engagement. Chaos ensues as her mother wields a cluster of leeks in a comedy of errors, accidentally hitting Seung hyo as she tries to shield herself behind him. It was discovered that Seok-ryu not just canceled her wedding, but also quit her job and relocated back to her hometown permanently.
In the midst of her mother’s anger and her father’s sudden collapse, Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu find a way to leave together, seeking solace in a nearby park until things settle down. Just to clarify, her numerous garments shielded her from her mother’s attacks with leeks!
Seok-ryu reveals to Seung-hyo her struggles with feeling overwhelmed by relocating to another country, beginning a new job, and organizing a wedding. Running at maximum speed constantly caused my CPU to be overloaded. The monitor turned off and the keyboard became unresponsive. “I had to restart myself,” she tells Seung-hyo, having no other option. Seung hyo is unexpectedly requested by a pair to capture their photograph. The couple mistake him and Seok ryu for being in a romantic relationship, but they clarify that they are simply friends who are children of their mothers’ friend.
When Seung-hyo is called by Seok-ryu’s brother, they head back home, with her mother assuring that she won’t discipline her in the typical Asian mother way. However, it turns out to be a prank as chaos happens once more, this time with Seok-ryu stuck inside the house due to Seung-hyo’s mischief.
In the final scene, Seung hyo remembers a young Seok-ryu standing up for him against bullies when they were children. Seung-hyo comments that with her return, chaos will ensue again, as the episode comes to a close!
The initial episode commenced positively due to the strong chemistry between the main characters. Even though the storyline resembles other uplifting dramas like Doctor Slump, it’s not necessarily negative and could have its own unique twist to it. What is your opinion on this first episode?