Episode 3 of "The Potato Lab" kicks off with an intriguing scene of Mi-kyung awakening in the bathtub, grappled by the clutches of a relentless hangover. Her memory gradually resurfaces, revisiting the electrifying kiss that concluded episode 2. At her bedside, Ong-ju, her perceptive friend, teases her about her "sweet dreams" involving Baek-ho. It soon transpires that Ong-ju had witnessed their passionate lip-lock from the night before and is struggling to contain her delight.
Mi-kyung dismisses it as a mere drunken blunder, but Ong-ju, knowing her friend's inclinations, chalks it up to her pent-up desires, exacerbated by her secluded life amidst the barren mountains void of any attractive companionship. Despite Mi-kyung's earnest attempts to erase the incident from her mind, she secretly hopes that Baek-ho has done the same. Alas, he hasn't.
We flashback 11 hours to the aftermath of the kiss. Mi-kyung exits the truck, her flirtatious demeanor lingering, leaving Baek-ho in a trance. He stumbles back to his room, tossing and turning as he reminisces about the kiss. In a bizarre turn of events, he finds himself ironing all his shirts and, oddly enough, pruning the bushes outside.
As dawn breaks, Baek-ho rings Mi-kyung, who's left stammering, clueless about how to navigate this unforeseen situation. After a couple of awkward misdials, Mi-kyung makes a hasty exit through the window, where Baek-ho awaits her, armed with playful banter. She attributes the whole ordeal to her blackout and subsequent memory loss, prompting Baek-ho to seize the moment, claiming she borrowed 50,000 won for a chauffeur and an additional 120,000 won for gas. His jesting aside, he emphatically asserts that he recalls every intimate detail from the previous night.
At Sunnyeo, Ki-se delves into Mi-kyung's past, scrutinizing old promotional videos of their research lab. However, his curiosity peaks when he learns about the lab's potato cooking contest. It appears that testing these potatoes is part of their job, with a meticulous judge arriving to sample each dish.
Baek-ho hitchhikes to the event, brushing off the team's excuses with a knowing shrug. He's fully aware that this is an annual tradition and is eager to find Mi-kyung, who happens to be one of the contestants busy preparing the area. The sparring between them continues, with Baek-ho demanding his money back. To prove his sincerity, he takes on much of Mi-kyung's workload, unwittingly performing numerous mundane tasks in record time, from directing traffic to setting up tables.
Director Choi and his son, Chris Choi, find themselves amidst the contenders, despite hailing from a rival village and employing less than honorable tactics, seeing as Chris moonlights as a hotel chef. Mr. Byun, our esteemed village elder, harbors a fierce rivalry with Choi, and predictably, tempers flare between them during the event, culminating in a slow-motion, small-town food fight that becomes the stuff of legends. Alas, amidst the fray, Mi-kyung's chef sustains an injury, necessitating Baek-ho's intervention to come to her aid. Should he oblige, he would gain the freedom to commute through Mr. Byun's property unimpeded, en route to his workplace. The catch? Baek-ho must conceal his identity, meaning no glasses or facemasks allowed. While the two chefs transform the kitchen into a circus of sorts, the dishes are eventually showcased before the judges. A slight wrinkle arises: Mi-kyung's "unsightly cheese potatoes" prove to be a culinary delight, yet the judges refrain from praising her lest she boasts incessantly for months to come, maintaining a stone-faced demeanor for the time being.
When it comes to declaring the winners, our townsfolk are primarily concerned with identifying the last-place finisher, the recipient of the tongue-in-cheek "Participation Award," which falls to the rival town of Jangsan-ri. This outcome ensures Yongreul-ri's victory regardless. Post-event, Mi-kyung expresses gratitude to Baek-ho, who dismisses his act of kindness as one motivated by self-interest. As they sit in quiet companionship, Mi-kyung apologizes for her earlier deception about not remembering the previous night's events, confessing she was embarrassed but retains vivid memories of all that transpired. She gestures helplessly, laying the blame squarely on herself. Baek-ho, however, cuts through the self-recrimination with a direct question: will she accompany him on a date?
Mi-kyung is taken aback, particularly because Baek-ho, in his typically blunt manner, reveals that she is the third person he has kissed. His reasoning stems from an excessive scrutiny of their situation, convincing himself that this revelation is in their best interest, despite any genuine feelings he might harbor for her. Instead, he views it all through the lens of "propositional logic." As their conversation progresses, Mi-kyung inadvertently admits that she finds him incredibly attractive, despite her declared disdain. Embarrassed by her slip, she hurries away, but Baek-ho remains stone-faced serious, even offering to bring her flowers, much to her chagrin.
The following day at work, a cosmetics calamity befalls Mi-kyung. Her eyebrows have undergone an unexpected transformation—they've been tattooed! The other lab assistants struggle to suppress their giggles and snap pictures of her predicament. Mi-kyung, ever the sport, plays along by striking poses like a model.
Elsewhere, Ki-se is entrusted with escorting Chairman Wang and CEO Yoon to the Potato Lab. The staff at the lab scramble to tidy up and ensure everything is immaculate. Ms. Wang's sharp eyes immediately catch sight of some workers skulking on the balcony, prompting them, including Mi-kyung and her newly adorned eyebrows, to descend and greet her.
Mi-kyung's introduction is delightfully amusing, with Chairman Wang remarking on how she "makes a lasting impression." This entire sequence is ingeniously crafted, meticulously unveiling the intricate workings of the operation and all its inherent complexities. Amidst the flurry of activity, Ki-se confronts Mi-kyung, inquiring about her presence at the lab. He implores her to grant him a favor by feigning ignorance of their acquaintance, enabling him to secure a promotion without their shared past coming to light.
Mi-kyung acquiesces, stressing her reluctance to revisit their past endeavors, though the specifics of their history remain shrouded in mystery at this juncture. However, when Ki-se carelessly mentions her shampoo, Mi-kyung's patience snaps, and she threatens him, physically overpowering him in a fit of rage.
Elsewhere, the executives convene in private to deliberate on the fate of the potato lab, weighing their options regarding its continued operation. Ki-se views it as a financial burden and advocates for its closure, but Baek-ho overrides his "short-sighted" perspective, proposing an alternative vision for the lab's future. Following this discussion, Baek-ho summons Mi-kyung to his office, where he delivers a shocking blow—he terminates her employment.
