Episode 3 of "Perfect Family" commences with a breathless Soo-yeon sprinting from Kyeong-ho's abode, her heart pounding with urgency as she races to reunite with Sun-hui. However, her path is blocked by Sun-hui's mother, Eun-joo, who stands firm, refusing to grant Soo-yeon access to her distraught friend.
Undeterred, Soo-heon persists, pushing past the barrier and making her way to Sun-hui's chamber, where she finds her friend in a state of profound shock, as if frozen in time. With a mixture of desperation and compassion, Soo-yeon pleads with Sun-hui to accompany her to the police station, offering to bear the burden of the heinous crime that had consumed Kyeong-ho's home and claimed the lives of his parents.
"Was it you, Sun-hui? Did you set the blaze that engulfed Kyeong-ho's house, taking his parents from him?" Soo-yeon's voice trembles with the weight of her question, yet Sun-hui remains silent, her eyes vacant. In a desperate attempt to evoke a response, Soo-yeon strips off her wig, baring her vulnerability and using it as a tool to guilt Sun-hui into confessing, hoping it would serve as a twisted form of justice for the injury Sun-hui had inadvertently inflicted upon her.
But as Soo-yeon reaches out to lead Sun-hui away, Jin-hyeok intervenes, his strong arm preventing Sun-hui's escape. Frustration boils over within Soo-yeon, and with a heavy heart, she turns and flees, her steps echoing through the emptiness of the hallway.
Left alone, Sun-hui's emotions finally break free, tears streaming down her face as she collapses into herself. Meanwhile, Soo-yeon skips school, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts as her classmates speculate about Kyeong-ho's rumored drug addiction. Hyun-woo, loyal to the end, stands up for his friend, his fists clenched in warning against those who dare speak ill of Kyeong-ho.
Soo-yeon, torn between conscience and fear, finds herself on the brink of a decision. She ponders the irrevocable actions that led to Kyeong-ho's demise, her mind replaying the fateful encounter in vivid detail.
The flashback paints a picture of heartache and misunderstanding. Soo-yeon, her heart heavy with unrequited love, watches helplessly as Kyeong-ho reveals his intention to ask Sun-hui out. The revelation stirs a tempest within her, and in a fit of desperation, she attempts to dissuade him. But Kyeong-ho's misinterpretation of her emotions only fuels her anger, and in a moment of impulsive rage, she shatters his plans by revealing the swan keychain, falsely claiming it as a rejection from Sun-hui.
The confrontation escalates, with Soo-yeon's fury unleashed upon the innocent painting and cake, her wig flying off in the chaos, exposing her vulnerability and leaving her reeling with embarrassment and self-pity. Why, she wonders, must she always be the one to suffer?
As Kyeong-ho attempts to intervene, she grasps a knife, her intention clear: to end her own life. Simultaneously, Sun-hui, having overheard the commotion from outside, rushes into the house to find Soo-yeon poised, knife raised, aimed at Kyeong-ho's chest. When Sun-hui steps forward to mediate, Soo-yeon's rage erupts, and she turns on Sun-hui, attacking with reckless abandon. In a valiant effort to protect Sun-hui, Kyeong-ho intercedes, sacrificing himself in the process.
In the present day, Soo-yeon trudges home, shunning the police station. But fate intervenes as Jin-hyeok spots her on the street, offering a ride in his car, a gesture of kindness amidst the turmoil. Back at their home, Sun-hui attempts to broach the subject of the devastating fire with her mother, Eun-joo, who remains eerily indifferent. Eun-joo brushes it off, pretending all is well, leaving Sun-hui to grapple with her emotions in solitude.
At the police station, the intricate web between Soo-yeon and Kyeong-ho begins to unravel. Detective Dong-ho's keen observation reveals Soo-yeon's presence at the crime scene that fateful morning, while Sung-woo confirms her absence from school that day, casting further suspicion. That very night, Soo-yeon awakens, disoriented, in Jin-hyeok's car only to be violently rendered unconscious by a blow to the head. Yet, her resilience fuels a miraculous awakening, and she manages to slip from the vehicle's confines as Jin-hyeok searches the trunk.
Sun-hui's desperate attempts to reach Soo-yeon by phone go unanswered, her mind flooding with memories of joyous moments shared with Hyun-woo and Kyeong-ho, sending her into a heartrending sob. She seeks solace in news reports of the fire, but each word only serves to tear open her wounds anew.
The following day, Hyun-woo arrives to escort Sun-hui to Kyeong-ho's funeral, a somber affair where they pay their deepest respects to the fallen and his grieving family. As they depart, Sun-hui's strength fails her, and she collapses. Jin-hyeok appears, like a guardian angel, lifting her from the funeral home's threshold. But their respite is brief as the police arrive, their questions looming, seeking to unravel the mysteries that surround Sun-hui.
As Jin-hyeok steps out of the car to engage in conversation with the others, Sun-hui's gaze falls upon a swan keychain abandoned within the vehicle's confines. She picks it up, her mind reeling back to the last time she saw it with Soo-yeon, and the unsettling realization that her friend's calls have gone unanswered. Fear creeps into her heart as she deduces that her father too is entangled in the mysterious events.
Inside their home, Sun-hui sits across her parents, facing the detectives' scrutinizing gazes as she calmly fields their inquiries. The investigators depart, unsatisfied with any incriminating evidence, leaving Sun-hui with Jin-hyeok's commendation for her bravery. Jin-hyeok vows to shield her from harm, come what may.
Outside, Dong-ho forms an unfavorable impression of Sun-hui, suspecting her of culpability. Back in her room, Sun-hui's attempts to reach Soo-yeon via phone are met with silence, filling her with dread. Desperate for answers, she seeks out Hyun-woo for Soo-yeon's address and promptly heads there.
At Soo-yeon's abode, Sun-hui encounters her roommate and adoptive sister, who reveals that Soo-yeon hasn't returned since leaving for school the previous day. The sister adds that Soo-yeon had a tendency to vanish when confronted with troubles, painting a picture of a troubled soul.
Meanwhile, at the police station, the section chief is poised to close the case, deeming it an accident. However, the forensic expert's unexpected arrival disrupts these plans, disclosing that Kyeong-ho's death was a result of a stab wound. Dong-ho and Sung-woo seize this revelation as a reason to delve deeper into the investigation, asserting their resolve to their superior.
As night falls, Sun-hui returns home, determined to retrace Soo-yeon's footsteps. In the shadows of her house's alleyway, she encounters Choi Hyun-min, who introduces himself as a relative of Jin-hyeok. Hyun-min's inquiry about the former occupant of the street-facing room in Sun-hui's house leaves her perplexed, though he quickly apologizes for the awkward encounter. Before departing, he whispers a warning in her ear, cautioning her to be wary of her own parents. Jin-hyeok, observing the exchange from his room, takes note of the mysterious encounter.
A flashback transports us to a moment when Kyeong-ho beseeches his painter father to critique his artwork, only to receive a dismissive assessment of its mediocrity. In stark contrast, at school, Kyeong-ho and Sun-hui find solace in sketching each other, with Sun-hui's praise of his work boosting his confidence and igniting a budding romance. The episode gracefully concludes with Kyeong-ho tightly clutching the portrait Sun-hui crafted for him, symbolizing their fleeting yet profound connection.
