The Interest of Love (사랑의 이해) is a Korean romantic-drama series directed by Jo Yeong-min and stars Yoo Yeon-seok, Mun Ka-young, Keum Sae-rok and Jung Ga-ram in lead roles. The series is based on the novel by Sarangui Ihae by Lee Hyuk-jin. The series takes over JTBC’s Wednesday-Thursday 10.30 PM KST timeslot previously occupied by Insider starring Kang Ha-neul.
The Interest of Love episode 3 has a runtime of 66 minutes.
Netflix’s description reads:
FOUR MEN AND WOMEN WORKING AT THE SAME BANK GET ENTANGLED IN A COMPLICATED ROMANCE AS THEY DISCOVER HOW FAR THEY’RE WILLING TO GO FOR LOVE.
– The Interest of Love Episode 3 Recap Contains Spoilers –
The Interest of Love episode 3 starts with Su-yeong going to work while her parents rush to work to get breakfast ready for her. Her father extends the olive branch, but Su-yeong is clearly not interested in his gifts. When he falls on the steps with a plate full of food, she pauses but doesn’t help him up.
Jong-hyeon, however, is there to help him, and he later asks her whether she would like to have breakfast together. The two do so when she agrees to his request, and they eat his homemade meal together a bewildered Su-yeong asks him why he isn’t asking any questions in spite of being witness to the chaos a few minutes before.
He, however, seems uninterested in her father and asks her whether the man in her background is her boyfriend. Su-yeong sighs in relief and tells him that he’s someone who loves her a lot but isn’t her boyfriend.
Back to the ending scene of the last episode, we see Su-yeong running to Jong-hyeon, with Sang-su right on her heels. She trips and falls on him, and Sang-su sees the scene and thinks that they are hugging. After the latter leaves, Jong-hyeon asks an awkward Su-yeong to stop going on blind dates because he likes her a lot. The request leaves her a bit shocked, but Jong-hyeon’s delivery of the line is rather solemn and sincere.
The next day at work, Sang-su is reeling from the memory of the other night, and when Su-yeong asks him why he called the other night, he coldly rebuffs her and then eventually agrees to go out for dinner with Mi-gyeong.
Mi-gyeong, later on, saves Su-yeong from a rather uncomfortable situation and the latter thanks her profusely afterwards. The sweet Mi-gyeong asks her to be friends if she really wants to thank her, and the two discuss Shi-kyung’s creepy behaviour together, sharing a bond.
Later on, Su-yeong is tasked with checking out a singing class hosted by the bank and Jong-hyeon is given the task of getting food and drinks for everyone in the office. Although Su-yeong doesn’t like the others treating Jong-hyeon like this, they leave together, which makes Sang-su uncomfortable and visibly annoyed.
When she returns, Mi-gyeong asks her to lunch to show her an artist’s early works that Su-yeong enjoys. She invites Sang-su as well, but he shoots it down, telling her that he’s busy. At lunch, Mi-gyeong asks her to transfer to another branch since she has been working at this branch for so long and iterates that she likes her that’s why she wants to help her.
The two bond over work and how other women treat both of them unfairly. Meanwhile, Sang-su drowns his confusion and sorrows in beer and wonders why Su-yeong is acting the way that she is. That night, after icing her out again, he goes out for dinner with Mi-gyeong in preparation for the competition the following day.
Su-yeong feels his behaviour, but before she can get too deep into those feelings, Jong-hyeon asks her to meet him. While drinking milk (of all things) together, he asks her to not worry about reciprocating his feelings and hands her her father’s restaurant flyer. The two share their feelings, and she reminisces how he reminds her of someone who worked just as hard as him.
Meanwhile, Sang-su and Mi-gyeong’s dinner seems quite pleasant and light-hearted as well, and they end up talking about why he doesn’t date and his hangups surrounding dating. When a signature dish comes to the table, he packs a plate for his mother and, later that night, takes it to her. It’s a nice moment until Mi-gyeong’s mother comes in for an after-hours appointment, and she runs off to work.
On the other hand, Su-yeong thinks back to how persistent her brother was and how big his dreams were. When Su-hyeok died, she blamed her father for his death. In the present, she throws away the flyer and walks straight to her parent’s eatery and asks him to never come near her. She reminds him that he was never there for them, and his false care now isn’t cutting it.
Back in her apartment, she thinks back to her brother’s promise and remembers how it saved her and pushed her forward instead of giving up.
Meanwhile, Sang-su and Mi-gyeong meet up to get some work done at the office and have a swell time collaborating and working together. In the morning, they go off to have breakfast at In-jae’s place, and Mi-gyeong’s crush is apparent in the way she conducts herself around him. On the other hand, Su-yeong goes to different clients’ houses to get them to invest and finds herself at Mi-gyeong’s place.
At the presentation, it seems like Sang-su and Mi-gyeong do a great job of putting their proposal forward. Afterwards, they make plans to hang out over the weekend.
The next day, Su-yeong comes across Jong-hyeon at the library, and she shares how she is excited to transfer to another branch, and he shows how proud he is of her and her zeal to be better. On the other hand, Mi-gyeong and Sang-su spend time together at the ice hockey rink.
In spite of all of these little dates, however, Sang-su is still hung up on Su-yeong, who is going to lunch with Mi-gyeong the next day. The two seem to be getting along very well, and Mi-gyeong even goes as far as to share her necklace with Su-yeong, who desperately turns the offer down. Regardless, the Mi-gyeong tells her that she enjoys her company and is thankful that she is taking care of her work while she is busy with other duties.
On their way back from lunch, Mi-gyeong gets the good news that they won the competition and immediately runs and hugs Sang-su, who happens to be coming out of the building. Su-yeong and Sang-su share a shocked and uncomfortable expressions; neither is clearly happy with what is happening in front of their eyes.
That night, Shi-kyung throws them a celebratory party, and as always, the cringe Ku-il starts to force Su-yeong to sing at the karaoke. Mi-gyeong saves her, though, and opts to sing in her place but takes Sang-su with her to the stage. The song is oddly romantic, and Su-yeong is extremely uncomfortable in the situation, wondering about the stark contrast between the team’s treatment of her with Jong-hyeon and Sang-su with Mi-gyeong.
That becomes even more apparent when, later on, Du-sik tries to make Su-yeong go to the convenience store to get a hangover cure when Jong-hyeon is not there, but this time, Sang-su volunteers to go instead. She meets him outside on his way back and asks him whether he’s having fun toying with her emotions.
The Interest of Love Episode 3 Ending
Having had enough, he asks her just to tell her what she’s talking about so that he can understand, and she asks him to explain what happened that day. She reminds him that his reason is not why he couldn’t come – he simply chose not to. Sang-su remembers what happened that night, and she, too, tells him that she saw him and everything that happened. Sang-su looks at her in disbelief.
The Interest of Love Episode 3 Review
I think the best way to describe this drama’s watching experience is that you need a ton of patience to get through it. And it almost feels like I can see what will happen in the end. Thus, I am left to wonder what is even the point of investing so much of your time to watch a show that just leaves you unfulfilled every time in the end.
Sure, we get why Su-yeong is the way that she is, but we don’t get all the answers. We realise that Sang-su did something bad on their date, but we don’t know what. She’s also not dating Jong-hyeon as we were made to believe in the last episode. So basically, we are left with nothing – no clear answers.
Coming to the characters – Mi-gyeong seems to be nice but also a bit manipulative. Sang-su seems to be a stalker, and honestly, Su-yeong seems like she needs grief counselling. We are given very hot and cold vibes from everyone, and so we are left feeling rather confused. Are they good? Are they bad? What is going on?
You might think that this makes for a thrilling and delicious watch. But it doesn’t. Because the thrill itself is not there. You know it will be something minor, like the last episode’s misunderstanding.
The drama is very confusing, and I really hope they either pick up the pace or do absolutely anything not to make watching this a chore.
The Interest of Love is streaming on Netflix.
Also Read: All of Our The Interest of Love Reviews
It takes time to warm up. Onion peeling layer by layer. That is the art of a good drama. Makes you think about the huge social and class divide in Korea at the workplace.
I am actually very excited to be left shocked and not bogged down by the runtime.
What is the name of the song they sing at the karaoke?