Episode 6 of "Motel California" unfolds with an intense emotional showdown between Kang-hee and Yeon-soo. She fixes him with an intense gaze, querying if he harbors feelings for her and pondering the motive behind his persistent assistance. He responds with a somber tone, revealing that this is the extent to which he permits himself to engage, subtly hinting at unspoken desires that transcend this boundary. Yet, he promptly urges her to grant him time to reconcile his feelings towards her.
In a huff, Kang-hee storms back to the motel, hurling the uneaten ice cream into the trash with a clang. Scarcely has she settled when her phone buzzes; it's Seok-kyung, relaying the dire news that Soon-ja's husband is threatening legal action against her father. Annoyed, she abruptly ends the call.
Ah-reum coaxes Kang-hee into joining their school group for dinner, unbeknownst to them that Seok-kyung has generously offered his credit card to foot the bill. The evening takes a sour turn when Heon-yeol spews insulting remarks directed at Ah-reum, prompting Seung-eon to leap to her defense, incensed by his crudeness. The trio decides to make an early exit, leaving the dinner in disarray.
Returning to the motel, Kang-hee encounters a lively gathering that includes Chun-pil, Soon-ja, Yeon-soo, Nan-woo, among others. The conversation revolves around Chun-pil's fourth successful endeavor in facilitating Soon-ja's divorce. As praises rain down upon Yeon-soo and Nan-woo, alleging a charming compatibility, Kang-hee's irritation grows visibly.
Later, Yeon-soo assists a tipsy Nan-woo outside the motel when they catch sight of Kang-hee perched on the steps, nursing a drink. She brushes past them with a curt nod, disappearing inside. Left alone, Yeon-soo and Nan-woo confront the elephant in the room, acknowledging that their charade of a marriage has sparked widespread rumors. Nan-woo, all too aware, points out that the person Yeon-soo was anticipating was none other than Kang-hee.In the meantime, Kang-hee furiously scrubs her bathroom tiles, venting her frustration about Yeon-soo's impatience to wait just a few more months for her. Now that she has secured a job and an apartment in Seoul, she wouldn't mind him joining her there at all. Meanwhile, Yeon-soo visits her room, mistakenly thinking she is engaged in a phone conversation. He retreats to his own room, where his imagination runs wild with a scenario of Kang-hee introducing Seok-kyung as her husband. In his dream, a heated altercation erupts between him and Seok-kyung, causing Yeon-soo to startle awake and fall out of bed.
As dawn breaks, Kang-hee inquiries with Seung-eon if he harbors any feelings for Ah-reum. He responds by expressing his inability to do so, given his background as an orphan with only a middle school education. Later, in the lobby, Kang-hee encounters Seok-kyung, who recounts how he boasted about their relationship the previous night, aiming to enhance Kang-hee's reputation in front of her former school bullies. He also revisits their earlier conversation, reminding her of the deal they struck: Kang-hee using him as her boyfriend officially until the motel construction is completed.
Kang-hee then delves into a collection of encouraging notes she has received over the years from Yeon-soo's grandfather. Subsequently, she heads to the vet clinic and inquiries Yeon-soo about Nan-woo's parents, to which he confirms they are both alive. She deduces that Nan-woo must have grown up immersed in love.
With a thoughtful expression, Kang-hee invites Yeon-soo to accompany her to visit his grandfather's grave. They make their way to the serene burial site, where Kang-hee solemnly informs Yeon-soo's grandfather that she is fulfilling her promise. She hands Yeon-soo a box containing his grandparents' rings, evoking a poignant flashback of Kang-hee complaining to the grandfather about Yeon-soo's decision not to accompany her to Seoul.The elderly man unfolds his tale of ill health, explaining the reversal of Yeon-soo's decision. He entrusts Kang-hee with a pair of rings, instructing her to bestow them upon Yeon-soo when he finally encounters "the one." He expresses his desire for Yeon-soo to find solace in the arms of someone nurtured by affectionate parents, possessing a kind and joyful spirit.
Kang-hee, revealing her true motive, confides that her journey to Seoul was prompted by rumors of his impending marriage, a notion she yearned to verify. She offers him her blessings, leaving him with barely a chance to respond, her words flowing like a relentless stream. Yeon-soo, shattered by her departure, swiftly rises to chase after her, enveloping her in a tender embrace. He apologizes profusely for failing to recognize the profound challenges she faced.
They find themselves seated by the river's edge, their conversation weaving through the gentle ripples. Kang-hee confesses that her conversation with Yeon-soo's grandfather partly fueled her decision to push him away. Yeon-soo, in a spontaneous act, retrieves the ring box and casts it into the shallow waters. Kang-hee, driven by curiosity, dives into the search, only to be confronted with Yeon-soo's admission: he is not marrying Nan-woo. In the midst of this tumultuous revelation, they both tumble into the river's embrace.
Subsequently, Yeon-soo seeks clarity on the rumors surrounding Nan-woo and him. When the conversation veers towards Seok-kyung, Nan-woo describes him but refrains from elucidating their relationship. Yeon-soo announces his intent to cease the charade of dating Nan-woo, while Kang-hee pretends nonchalance. Yet, in the privacy of the motel, her smile is incurable.
The following morning, Kang-hee encounters Jung-gee in the motel lobby, a sight that startles her. Jung-gee unveils her true purpose: not the project, but a reunion with Chun-pil. She reveals Chun-pil as an old acquaintance and her brush with death as the catalyst for seizing the moment with him. Intriguingly, she is the culprit behind the colossal teddy bear's delivery! Kang-hee's demeanor betrays her discomfort, prompting Seok-kyung to later clarify the situation to Jung-goo.
Kang-hee discovers Yeon-soo's cat wandering aimlessly and returns it to the motel. In Yeon-soo's room, she grasps the teddy bear with the intent of discarding it, but Yeon-soo intercepts her. Her frustrations spill over as she rails against the woman who gifted the bear. She also voices her resentment towards her father's philandering ways, uncovering a painful truth: he was with Yeon-soo's mother, Soon-ja, during Kang-hee's darkest hour.
A poignant flashback depicts Chun-pil arriving at the hospital only to find it was too late. Little Kang-hee, her voice tinged with sorrow and anger, scolds him for his absence during the harrowing moments when her younger brother passed away and her mother clung to life by a thread. From that moment on, she refers to him solely as Chun-pil, a distant echo of the term "dad" that she can no longer utter.
In the present, Kang-hee confides in Yeon-soo, explaining that her father was entangled in a messy situation involving a con artist in Seoul, attempting to rescue Soon-ja. This act of betrayal is a wound that she cannot, and will not, forgive. Yeon-soo's curiosity prompts him to inquire about her father, but Kang-hee counters with a poignant question: Could he ever abandon his own mother?
Determined, Kang-hee insists on driving Jung-goo back home, adding that she too desires a brief respite in Seoul. Overhearing this from his room, Yeon-soo watches as Kang-hee bids him farewell through the doorway. Upon reaching Seoul, Jung-goo relays a heartfelt message from Kang-hee's father—an apology that encompasses a myriad of regrets. Kang-hee returns home, yet her thoughts keep drifting back to Yeon-soo.
Meanwhile, at the motel, Seok-kyung receives a call from Kang-hee, and he milks the moment for all it's worth, making a spectacle of it in Yeon-soo's presence. His pretense continues even after Kang-hee hangs up, a charade that irritates Yeon-soo enough to devise his own mock phone call.
In Seoul, Esther notices Kang-hee's downtrodden demeanor and decides to take her out for some air. She shares heartfelt stories of her enduring friendship with Seok-kyung, from childhood till now, emphasizing that friendship can sometimes outlast even the fiercest of loves. Kang-hee is deeply moved by this revelation, and on an impulse, she drives back to Hana-eup.
Bursting into the motel, Kang-hee confronts Yeon-soo, declaring that they should remain mere friends. She even invites him into her room, offering him a scoop of ice cream. Yeon-soo accepts, playfully using her spoon to taste the treat. As their argument escalates, he leans in and kisses her, challenging her resolve. "Can you truly be just friends with me?" he asks. In the end, Kang-hee's resistance melts away, and she kisses him back, marking a tender conclusion to Motel California Episode 6.
