Episode 5 of *My Youth* opens with Je-yeon feeling a palpable sense of awkwardness. As she and Hae make their way back to Seoul, after Hae tentatively suggests they could start dating, she tells him she needs time to think. Alone with her thoughts, Je-yeon mentally replays the entire sequence of events, substituting Hae with Seok-ju in her mind's eye. Through this introspective exercise, she reaches a poignant conclusion: she wouldn’t have tolerated such a situation from any other man.
Meanwhile, Hae and Tae-rin’s show comes to a graceful and heartfelt conclusion, leaving a lasting impression on their audience. In a separate twist of fate, Hae receives troubling news from the hospital following his routine blood test. The results reveal abnormalities in his blood, prompting the need for further analysis. Seizing the opportunity to spend more time with Je-yeon, he calls her under the pretext of giving her a contract. They end up enjoying a movie together, followed by a cozy dinner.
During their meal, Je-yeon finally opens up about her past connection with Hae. She reveals that she had known him since childhood, having been enrolled in the same acting academy by her mother. She fondly recalls giving him a flower bouquet once, only to discover later that he had discarded it in the trash. Hae, taken aback, offers a heartfelt apology for his past behavior but explains that he doesn’t remember the incident, as he had been in and out of hospitals during that time.
After dinner, Hae escorts Je-yeon home and, in a symbolic gesture, presents her with a flower bouquet of her own. He confesses that he had agreed to participate in the show because of her and, with a mixture of hope and vulnerability, asks her out on a date. However, Je-yeon gently rejects his advances, explaining that she isn’t ready to embark on a romantic journey just yet.
In the background, Tae-rin is quietly making plans to leave the company. She intends to move in with director Han-na, who had recently resigned due to irreconcilable differences with the CEO and had since embarked on her own entrepreneurial venture.
Tae-rin subtly extends an invitation to Je-yeon, her voice laced with a hint of anticipation, but Je-yeon gently declines, her eyes conveying a mix of regret and unwavering respect for Tae-rin's choice. She assures Tae-rin that her decision will always be met with understanding. Afterwards, Je-yeon drives Tae-rin to the company building, where Seok-ju happens to be seated beside Tae-rin's designated spot. As Tae-rin steps out, a flood of memories washes over her—she recalls the fateful day in high school when she had spotted Je-yeon on the brink of leaping off a building, and how, amidst the chaos, her ears had caught the mesmerizing timbre of Seok-ju's voice echoing through the radio waves. With a wistful smile, she departs.
Meanwhile, Hae returns home to discover a lavish gift of premium pears left by his publisher. It's here that the narrative unravels the reason behind Hae's hiatus from writing: despite the publisher reaping substantial profits from his literary works, Hae found himself unable to sustain a livelihood through his passion.
The following day, amidst a corporate meeting chaired by the CEO, Je-yeon is apprised of the necessity to secure Hae's endorsement for the extension of production rights concerning his book, which is slated for a cinematic adaptation. She also uncovers the unsettling truth that Hae had been ensnared in an unjust contractual agreement.
In a bid to rectify the situation and appease all parties involved, the CEO has inflated the market price stipulated in the contract. Undeterred by the anonymity shrouding the author's identity, Je-yeon steps forward, volunteering to resolve the impasse. When she approaches Hae with the proposition, he consents without hesitation.
The next day, Je-yeon finds herself embroiled in a heated altercation with a colleague who had been disparaging Hae behind his back. Just as tensions reach their peak, Hae strides in, his presence commanding silence and bringing the confrontation to an abrupt halt.
