Love on the Menu

Kim Mu-jin's feelings for Han Gyu-rim deepen at the restaurant, while Gyu-rim has barely a moment to think about romance between home responsibilities, part-time work, and her siblings' latest troubles. Mu-jin chooses patience and plans to approach her slowly, but Jo Heung-sik's bold advance shakes his resolve. The slow approach ends in one sudden confession.

Mu-jin confesses his feelings for Gyu-rim, but Gyu-rim turns him down, telling him that life is too hard for her to date anyone. Gyu-rim suddenly gets worried that she might have to live the rest of her life taking care of her siblings, so she tells them she's getting married out of the blue. Meanwhile, Yun-hee gets into a car accident, and it turns out the other driver is her ex-husband.

As Mu-jin and Gyu-rim settle into a blossoming romance, Mu-jin decides he can no longer hide the truth and finally reveals the secret he has kept from her. Reeling from the unexpected revelation and Hong Ok-seon's fierce opposition, the couple vows not to let go of each other, only for an unforeseen crisis to threaten everything they have chosen to protect.

Mu-jin is severely injured while working as a day labourer at a construction site. Meanwhile, his older sister, Yoon-jin, confronts Gyu-rim and urges her to end her relationship with Mu-jin. At the same time, Gyu-rim's family is evicted from their home. Eight years later, Gyu-rim lives with her young son, Gyeol. However, she is summoned to the police station, where she comes face to face with someone she never expected to see again.

Eight years after losing Gyu-rim, Mu-jin finds her beside her son Han Gyeol and Heung-sik, who seems to be her husband. He tries to accept the life she appears to have built without him, but his feelings refuse to disappear. Meanwhile, Gyu-yeong hides her family as she prepares for a meeting before marriage, setting the stage for another painful collision.

Mu-jin suspects Gyeol might be his son, but Gyu-rim quickly brushes off his suspicions. Gyeol once again asks Mu-jin to meet, and when they sit down together, Gyeol surprises Mu-jin with an unexpected question. Meanwhile, Yun-hee learns that Gyu-yeong had asked Hun-tae for help with her wedding and decides to meet with her. However, Gyu-yeong is disappointed when Yun-hee's attitude is completely different from what she had expected.

Pressed by young Gyeol about his lingering affection, Mu-jin insists he holds no desire for someone already married. Elsewhere, Gyu-rim fiercely defends her secret against Jeong-wu, adamant that her son shares no connection with Mu-jin. Still, keeping the past deeply buried proves impossible.

After learning that Heung-sik was injured while trying to save Gyeol, Gyu-rim gradually grows attached to Heung-sik. Meanwhile, Gyu-yeong, fired from the hospital, returns to Gyu-rim's home, showing signs of causing trouble once again. Elsewhere, Ok-seon discovers Gyeol's existence and begins looking into his background in secret, even planning to take him away from Gyu-rim and raise him herself.

Mu-jin decides to start a new relationship with Seo-hyeon, but he can't shake the heaviness in his heart. Meanwhile, after learning about everything from Gyu-yeong's formal family meeting to the excessive wedding gifts being demanded, Gyu-rim resolves to stop the marriage.

After getting drunk, Gyu-rim runs into Mu-jin on her way home, but the next morning, she suffers from a terrible hangover and has no memory of meeting him. Still, she can't shake the feeling that something is missing and searches for what she may have lost, left with an uneasy feeling. Meanwhile, Yun-hee confronts Mu-jin and harshly declares that she will never approve of his relationship with her daughter.

Memories of the secret surrounding the day Gyu-rim gave birth suddenly flash through her mind, prompting her to ask Mu-jin if the two of them might ever be able to get back together. Seo-hyeon leaves home and moves in with Mu-jin, determined to live with him without his consent. Meanwhile, Gyu-rim receives a shocking announcement from the owner of the shop where she works.

Gyu-rim shocks her family by declaring that she is done sacrificing herself as the eldest daughter and refuses to keep scraping by for everyone else's sake. Elsewhere, Yun-hee's unusually strong opposition to Mu-jin catches Hun-tae's attention, prompting him to ask if there is something he does not know. One question hangs heavily between them.

Yun-hee reveals to Hun-tae that Gyu-rim is her daughter, forcing him to lie in an attempt to make Seo-hyun give up on Mu-jin. Meanwhile, Gyeol is stunned to discover that his blood type makes it impossible for Gyu-rim to be his biological mother. Reeling from the revelation, he runs away from home and seeks out Mu-jin.

Gyeol begins searching his own family for the truth of where he came from, and every question leaves Gyu-rim more helpless as the son she raised pulls away. Elsewhere, Seo-hyeon believes Hun-tae's deception and urges him to divorce Yun-hee, turning one lie into a threat that could tear their family apart.

As Mu-jin tenderly watches over young Gyeol, he searches for any way to reconcile the boy with Gyu-rim, yet the guarded child firmly shuts everyone out. At the same time, Gyu-yeong solidifies her legal marriage to Sung-wook and turns her calculated gaze toward far grander family power. No dangerous secret can stay buried forever when pride takes control.

Gyu-rim reveals to Mu-jin the secret she has kept from everyone until now, bringing a long hidden truth into the open. Elsewhere, Yun-hee keeps circling Gyu-rim before encountering Seok-joong and showing signs of an unsettling shift. One confession is made, while another mystery quietly edges closer.

Mu-jin confesses to Gyu-rim that he wants to stay by her and Gyeol's side from now on, asking her to trust only him no matter what comes their way. Meanwhile, Gyu-yeong is deeply hurt when no one shows up to her farewell party, and after getting completely drunk, she returns home and causes a scene, lashing out at her family for turning their backs on her.

Mu-jin visits Gyu-rim's home early in the morning and unexpectedly finds himself face-to-face with Seok-joong and the rest of her family. He is caught off guard when the confrontational Gyu-yeong and Seok-joong put him through an intense interrogation. Meanwhile, Yun-hee finds herself drawn toward Gyu-rim without even realizing it.

Mu-jin forces Gyu-oh to face the truth that years of sacrifice were built on lies and exploitation, leaving Gyu-oh furious at the people who used him and at himself for believing them. As Gyu-rim struggles with Gyu-yeong's silent departure and Gyu-yeong savours her escape, Gyu-oh reaches a decision he can no longer avoid.