The second episode of "The Dream Life of Mr. Kim" commences with the news of Tae-hwan's tragic attempt at suicide, suffocating in his car from toxic carbon monoxide. Kim Nak-su, inevitably, feels the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
Flashbacks to April 2001 illuminate Nak-su and Tae-hwan's first encounter. Both applying for the company's position simultaneously, they find themselves in an interview together. Nak-su exudes a zest for life, a passion that borders on the over-the-top, and a confidence that belies any concern for others. Although he's forced to praise Tae-hwan's humanity, it's clear from this encounter that Nak-su has always been willing to do whatever it takes to climb the corporate ladder.
In the present, Su-gyeom arrives for his interview, applying for the ACT futurist university student marketer position. Nak-su watches proudly from the window. However, Su-gyeom is more concerned with avoiding comparisons to his father and the toxic atmosphere he senses within the company. When Jeong-hwan and Han-na call to meet, Su-gyeom is flustered and nervous, especially when he lies about his whereabouts and activities. Jeong-hwan, aware of his interview, brings it up, and Su-gyeom is honest in his assessment of the people he does not want to work with.
Interestingly, he is offered a job at Jeong-hwan's startup instead of ACT. Despite being accepted into ACT, he is ready to turn it down.
Elsewhere, Jeong-tae catches up with Nak-su and brings up the Tae-hwan situation. He's worried that the press will uncover the truth about Nak-su being forced out of the company through unorthodox means. Nak-su, under pressure from his executive, is forced to save face for the company.
At the hospital, Tae-hwan awakens but is not in a talkative mood. Nak-su's self-absorbed rambling about his own achievements doesn't help matters. Tae-hwan hits back with a scathing retort, reminding Nak-su that he only cares about getting his promotion and doesn't think about anyone else.
Upon returning to the company, Jeong-tae engages in a tense conversation with his HR team, who propose a paltry 5 million won settlement for Tae-hwan and his exile to Asan. The senior managers, burdened by the vacancy and the present predicament, also eye Kim Nak-su with disfavor, effectively precluding him from the executive position. Jeong-tae is loath to do this, particularly in light of the recent golfing drama.
Meanwhile, Tae-hwan's predicament sparks deep introspection in Park Ha-jin. She yearns to escape the confines of being a housewife and pursue something more meaningful. Acutely aware of the fickle nature of corporate life, she seeks reassurance for their future and heads to the local library, devouring a stack of books on real estate and the legal nuances therein.
Back at ACT, things take a somber turn. Jeong-tae invites Nak-su into his office to discuss the team's underperformance in comparison to Jin-woo's. Nak-su's management style is revealed as flawed, fostering a toxic environment of hierarchical power and respect rather than empathy and understanding. Jeong-tae delves into this, revealing that Ik-kyeon, one of the workers who often takes half-days, is actually the Director's mentor in real estate. Ik-kyeon is the one who aided the Director with his apartment and helped him amass his wealth.
The lack of effort from Mr. Kim as a manager is telling, and the contrast between Jin-woo's team's cohesive collaboration and Nak-su's discordant one is palpable. Nak-su attempts to build rapport with his team, but it feels forced, and his idea of collaborating through "five ideas" doesn't resonate well. Meanwhile, Tae-hwan is offered a position at the factory and weighs his options, while Nak-su shows up at the Chinese restaurant his father has booked for the night.
Nak-su's behavior towards the owner and other workers is rude, reinforcing Su-gyeom's belief that ACT has cultivated this toxic behavior from the top down. He doesn't want to work in this environment. Things take a turn for the worse when Ha-ji excitedly announces her enrollment in a real estate class and her intention to take an exam to become a realtor.
Nak-su continues to brag about his guaranteed executive position and disrespect Tae-hwan, while Jin-woo is schmoozing with the director. Nak-su then turns his attention to Su-gyeon, bringing up the startup company situation. He scoffs at his son's passion for being involved in such a venture, implying that he would be a "Chief Destruction Officer" rather than an innovative manager trying to revolutionize the business. The conversation ends with an icy awkwardness, especially when the food is brought in and they sit in silence.
We learn that the restaurant they are at is not actually Mieran, but Ssangyonggak, a place near their home. Mieran is a place Nak-su frequently goes to with work directors. Given the mix-up was Nak-su's, Su-gyeom wants him to apologize on the way out. Nak-su refuses, and in the end, he is left to eat the food alone. When the employee returns, Nak-su is ashamed to realize this is actually the owner's son, making him feel even worse.
With nowhere else to go and no friends or colleagues to speak of, Nak-su heads to the office and decides to work instead. He ends up sleeping in the office and wakes up to a scandal. Remember the Giga Internet issue raised by Sung-gu last episode? Well, it's big news online now that an influencer called IT-BOY has uncovered that the speed isn't what they promised. The sales team is being swamped with angry calls, and the company is part of a huge media storm online. Nak-su is the one who greenlit this, of course, and as a result, he's called into the Director's office.
