The premiere of "Second Shot at Love" kicks off with Dr. Seo Ui-joon delivering a captivating seminar on the Prevention and Treatment of Alcoholism. He lambasts South Korea's permissive attitude towards alcoholism, emphasizing that anyone, regardless of intelligence or work ethic, can fall prey to this addiction.
The scene transitions to Han Geum-ju, a brilliant senior engineer at an auto repair shop, who harbors a secret battle with alcoholism. One fateful night, she embarrasses herself publicly in a drunken stupor. The following morning, her fiancé, Ju-yeop, presents her with an ultimatum. In a heart-wrenching decision, Geum-ju chooses the bottle over him, leading to their engagement's dissolution. Her mother, Gwang-ok, reproaches her severely, but Geum-ju counters that Ju-yeop initially pursued her for her partying spirit, only to start criticizing once marriage was on the horizon. She defends social drinking as a necessary evil to nurture workplace relationships.
However, the consequences of her addiction soon catch up with her. She loses her job and struggles to make ends meet, ultimately defaulting on her rent. Gwang-ok reluctantly takes her back home, spinning a tale to their hometown of Bochun that the engagement was broken due to an overbearing mother-in-law.
As they journey back, they cross paths with Ui-joon, who is on his way to attend to his elderly patients. His demeanor is marked by patience and warmth; he goes above and beyond to ensure the elders' well-being. Ui-joon even performs chores for an elderly woman and engages the other ladies in cheerful conversation. His natural farming skills come to light, revealing that he honed these abilities while assisting his grandmother.
Back at the Hans' residence, Geum-ju arrives to find her father, Jeong-su, and her divorced older sister, Hyeon-ju, indulging in daytime drinking. Gwang-ok scolds them, revealing that they were the ones who introduced Geum-ju to alcohol and normalized excessive drinking. With a stern resolve, Gwang-ok declares an end to their drinking habits, marking a turning point in the family's journey towards healing and recovery.
Hyeon-ju's twins, adoring Geum-ju, accompany her to the bustling town park, where amidst their playful antics, she pours her heart out to a friend about Ju-yeop. Unbeknownst to her, a nearby gossipmonger catches wind of her cancelled engagement, and soon, the truth spreads with the velocity of wildfire. While some offer their sympathy, many cast aspersions on her. By chance, she encounters an old acquaintance, Seon-wook, who also reproaches her. They then visit Young-woong, a mechanic buddy grappling with a problematic car. Geum-ju, ever the innovator, thinks on her feet and repairs it—only to be discouraged upon discovering it belongs to Ui-joon. Flashbacks reveal that they were once close, but a rift emerged between them. Ui-joon, a highly esteemed doctor in Seoul, made a splashy debut in Bochun with his clinic.
Back in 2007, Geum-ju happens upon Ui-joon, a new transfer student whose bike has broken down. She promptly offers to mend it, her chatterbox nature revealing her as the town's prodigy. He, shy but captivated, watches her with admiration. In the present, their paths cross again. Ui-joon extends a warm greeting, but Geum-ju lashes out. Her grocery bag rips, yet she steadily declines his assistance. He plays along, pretending to leave, further irritating her. As he turns away, his expression darkens with sadness.
Elsewhere, Gwang-ok eavesdrops on her friends gleefully discussing her daughters' tumultuous lives. Returning home to find her husband and daughters clandestinely indulging in a drink, her frustration deepens. She labels Geum-ju as selfish, and Geum-ju, heartbroken, laments that no one understands her plight. Flashbacks illustrate Ju-yeop's betrayal, his affair with a pregnant mistress prompting him to dissolve their engagement. This is the reason Geum-ju starts the episode inebriated, choosing to end the engagement first—a desperate bid for control and dignity.
The second episode of "Second Shot at Love" unfolds with an dramatic opening, as Geum-ju flees the confines of her home. An observant Miss Nosy catches sight of her hurriedly making her way towards the river. The following morning, a grim discovery greets the daylight: Geum-ju's clothes and shoes, scattered haphazardly along the riverbank, hint at a tragic fate—drowning.
A poignant flashback transports us to the moments leading up to this near-catastrophe. Geum-ju, stinking of misfortune, strips off her clothes in a desperate bid for cleanliness. Misfortune strikes again as she inadvertently steps in dog feces and, in an attempt to clean her shoes in the river, loses them to the current. In a moment of sheer madness, she leaps into Ui-joon's path, causing him to swerve and crash his car, shattering his leg in the process. Ui-joon, exasperated but compassionate, carries her back home.
The next morning, Geum-ju, mortified by her actions, offers Ui-joon monetary compensation. But before she can utter another word, a chilling phone call shatters the morning calm—everyone is searching for Geum-ju's presumed lifeless body. Rushing to the scene, she finds her family in a state of disbelief turned to relief upon beholding her very much alive. Exasperated with Geum-ju's erratic behavior, her mother, Gwang-ok, attempts to end her own woes by drowning, adding another layer of drama to the unfolding saga.
Meanwhile, Seon-wook and Ui-joon converse about the mishap that left Ui-joon with a broken leg and his car in ruins, all thanks to Geum-ju. Inevitably, Miss Nosy's eavesdropping ears catch wind of the tale, and soon, the gossip spreads like an inferno through the community.
Geum-ju finds herself on the receiving end of scolding from all quarters. To regain some semblance of respect and redemption, she is tasked with nursing Ui-joon back to health. Scenes of her chauffeuring Ui-joon around and performing chores that he would otherwise attend to for his patients flash by. Intrigued by his reasons for abandoning Seoul, Ui-joon cleverly deflects the question by inquiring about her occupation.
Another flashback delves into Geum-ju's workplace woes, where she faces blatant sexism. Seeking revenge, she decides to exhaust all her paid time off (PTO) leaves. Ironically, this act of defiance leads to her unjust dismissal.
Elsewhere, Hyeon-ju spends her time lounging about as her twins attend their taekwondo class with Seon-wook. She engages in playful banter with him, and we come to understand that he harbors feelings for her. After her departure, her friend sighs wistfully, remarking on how she could have been a shining star. Seon-wook, however, is annoyed by this sentiment, as she remains a star in his eyes.
Returning to our main characters, Ui-joon swiftly conceals his amusement and reprimands Geum-ju for interfering in his life. Hurt by his words, she concedes that she has indeed overstepped her bounds. A flashback takes us to an airport scene where she desperately tries to deter him, only to be told by Ui-joon that she has crossed the line.
In the present, Geum-ju berates herself for failing to respect Ui-joon's boundaries. Yet, despite this, he finds himself thinking about her throughout the night. The following morning, she resolves to return to her role as his driver. However, just as she prepares to leave, she receives a notification and frantically begs Seon-wook to take her place. It turns out that it is Ju-yeop's birthday, and she had prepaid for a cake. A dramatic race ensues as she rushes to Seoul to intercept the delivery, only to bump into Ju-yeop in the elevator.
He finally confesses that the affair had begun due to his intoxication. Distressed by his hypocrisy, she urges him to pull himself together for the sake of their child. He warns her not to cross a line and suggests that she should address her own issues first. Ui-joon had echoed similar sentiments, leaving Geum-ju deeply upset. In a fit of anger, she throws the cake at Ju-yeop and proceeds to get drunk.
Back at home, Ui-joon is worried about her whereabouts. He discovers a drunken Geum-ju rambling about a cake and Seon-wook. Misunderstanding the situation, Ui-joon believes she abandoned him to get drunk at a party. Seon-wook reveals to Ui-joon that his actions are hurting Geum-ju and urges him to become a better person for her. As they leave, Geum-ju sobs uncontrollably.
Ui-joon, furious, also indulges in drinking at home. Suddenly, he stumbles upon a comment on an alumni post that shocks him to his core. It alleges that Ui-joon has taken a life.
In the Second Shot at Love Episode 2 epilogue, Ui-joon and Geum-ju engage in a lively drinking competition in 2011. She is a poor sport, and he ultimately carries her home. He harbors a desire to win in everything so that he can take care of her.
