Episode 11 of Love Next Door begins with a nostalgic flashback where Seok-ryu and Mo-eun’s class makes cakes for fun. When they decide to give their cakes to Seung-hyo, they are surprised to find a group of high school girls already waiting to do the same.
Mo-eun teases Seung-hyo about his popularity, while Seok-ryu seems a bit jealous. Later, during an English class, Seung-hyo casually asks if there’s any leftover cake since he noticed her walking away with it earlier. However, Seok-ryu refuses to give him any. Through this, we learn that Seung-hyo had quit swimming and quickly excelled academically, largely thanks to Seok-ryu’s help.
Fast forward to the present, Seok-ryu is still recovering from the emotional toll of the previous day. After crying, she and Seung-hyo have breakfast with her family, which leaves Seung-hyo feeling somewhat lonely, yearning for the warmth of a family. Later, Seok-ryu asks Seung-hyo for help translating a French cookbook. As he reads aloud, Seok-ryu falls asleep. She wakes up to find him napping beside her and instinctively reaches out to touch his face. Embarrassed, Seung-hyo quickly wakes up and leaves, awkwardly bumping into Mo-eun as she enters.
Afterward, Mo-eun buys him an ice pack, but their moment is interrupted by Dan-ho’s arrival, prompting Mo-eun to flee.
As the day progresses, both Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu are aware that the milk bottle Seung-hyo once gave her is about to expire. Seung-hyo refrains from mentioning it, knowing that Seok-ryu was heartbroken after Hyeon-jun’s departure.
The next day at work, Seung-hyo and his team are focused on a bookstore project for a famous musician, while Seok-ryu’s parents encourage her culinary ambitions. Meanwhile, Dan-ho has taken time off work to look after Yeon-du, his daughter, after their babysitter was injured. Mo-eun’s mother offers to help, giving Mo-eun and Dan-ho an opportunity to awkwardly apologize to each other for the kiss they shared.
Seung-hyo’s excitement over a planned family dinner is crushed when his mother, Hye-suk, announces her departure overseas and reveals that she and Seung-hyo’s father are divorcing. In a flashback, a younger Seung-hyo overhears his mother’s regret over having him, a moment that has haunted him despite her apologies.
In the present, a devastated Seung-hyo drinks alone at a tent restaurant, and Seok-ryu is called to pick him up. Drunk, Seung-hyo opens up about his family’s turmoil and his longing for a family like Seok-ryu’s.
The next day, Seung-hyo’s parents head to family court, though they have to wait a month before their divorce can be finalized. Meanwhile, Seok-ryu confronts Hye-suk about Seung-hyo’s hidden pain, though he never expresses it directly.
Elsewhere, Mo-eun has a dream in which Dan-ho is a superhero, Mudflat Man, and they nearly kiss before she wakes up. She later spends the day with Dan-ho and Yeon-du at a sauna, where Yeon-du expresses sadness over not having a mother. Mo-eun comforts her, feeling a growing bond with the child.
Seung-hyo has been staying at his office ever since learning of his parents’ divorce, feeling isolated and nostalgic for a family photo. Seok-ryu, sensing his pain, gives him an old childhood photo of them together and reminds him that his mother is leaving soon. Just as he calls to check her flight, Seung-hyo learns that his mother has gone missing from the airport, leaving her phone behind.
Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu, along with Mi-suk’s help, search for Hye-suk, eventually finding her injured near a Buddhist temple she frequented for hiking. The incident prompts a heartfelt reconciliation between Seung-hyo’s parents, who express their frustrations and feelings honestly for the first time in years.
On the way home, Seung-hyo’s parents are back to flirting, and they plan a hospital visit for Hye-suk’s check-up.
Meanwhile, Seok-ryu learns that Seung-hyo is going on a two-week business trip. Though she pretends not to care, she misses him deeply. As she listens to his recording of the French cookbook translation, she deciphers a hidden confession he had made in French when she was asleep. Seung-hyo had admitted his feelings for her, even comparing them to the expiration date of the milk carton.
With this revelation, Seok-ryu races to find him and, in a field of flowers, asks him on a date. The episode ends with the couple sharing a kiss over banana milk.
Episode 12 begins with Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu sharing a romantic kiss in the flower field. Soon after, they are spotted by Myung-u and another employee, who see them sitting together, sipping banana milk. Back at the lodge, the two try to hide the shift in their relationship, but it’s obvious.
That night, unable to sleep, Seung-hyo sneaks out to meet Seok-ryu, confessing his feelings and warming her heart. They agree to keep their budding romance a secret from their families for now.
Upon returning home, Seok-ryu’s mother, Mi-suk, attempts to set her up on a blind date, which leads to an awkward moment between Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo as they try to brush off the subject. Meanwhile, Mo-eun receives an invitation for an interview regarding an Antarctica mission. Afterward, she discovers that Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu are officially together, and she reflects on how they might have avoided a relationship due to teasing as children.
Mo-eun later plans a camping trip with Dan-ho and Yeon-du. During the trip, Mo-eun confesses her feelings for Dan ho and her desire to be Yeon-du’s mother, but Dan-ho rejects the idea, leaving her heartbroken.
Elsewhere, Seung-hyo’s father confronts the vice minister over suspicions of an affair with Hye-suk, only to discover that the minister is gay, putting the rumors to rest. Embarrassed by her husband’s actions, Hye-suk later visits the doctor and is diagnosed with short-term memory loss due to stress, not a more serious illness.
Later, Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu go on a movie date, but things feel awkward. Seok-ryu feels isolated and upset, especially when she visits Seung-hyo’s company and finds him easily working with his colleague, Tae-hui. The tension causes a brief argument between the two, and Seok-ryu storms off, but she later regrets her outburst.
As the episode progresses, both Seung-hyo and Seok-ryu’s families plan to go on trips, leaving the couple to miss each other. Meanwhile, the distance between Mo-eun and Dan-ho grows, and Yeon-du no longer spends time with Mo-eun.
Late one night, Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo finally meet and clear the air between them. They share a quiet dinner at Seok-ryu’s empty house, and Seung-hyo confesses his nervousness and uncertainty about how to act around her. The episode concludes with an intimate kiss, marking a deepening connection between the couple.
Love Next Door Episodes 11 and 12 are filled with emotional depth and relationship growth. Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo’s budding romance finally takes center stage, with sweet moments of confession and vulnerability. The episodes also tackle family struggles, particularly Seung-hyo’s emotional turmoil over his parents’ divorce. Mo-eun and Dan-ho’s subplot adds complexity, with Mo-eun’s desire to be Yeon-du’s mother being heartbreakingly rejected. Overall, these episodes blend romance, humor, and drama, keeping the audience invested in the characters’ journeys.