Episode 8 of *To The Moon* opens with Da-hae radiating joy, her spirits buoyed by the soaring value of cryptocurrency. During a lunch outing with her girlfriends, Da-hae shares the exciting news that her mother’s sixtieth birthday is on the horizon, and she’s orchestrating an elaborate surprise party along with a trip to Jeju Island. A flashback transports us to the climactic scene of the previous episode, where Da-hae and Ji-song rush to Eun-sang’s side amidst her heated altercation with her ex-husband. In the present, Eun-sang and Ji-song remain entangled in a text message skirmish.
Suddenly, Da-hae receives a call from the police station, informing her that her father, Jung Yong-jik, has been found inebriated and taken in. Reluctantly, she retrieves him and discovers his latest ambition: crypto mining. However, Da-hae, with resolve in her voice, declares that she will sever ties with him permanently and departs.
Determined to shield her mother, Jung-lim, from this incident, Da-hae concentrates wholeheartedly on organizing the birthday festivities. The surprise party commences splendidly, but Yong-jik’s untimely arrival casts a pall over the celebrations. The situation deteriorates further when he reveals to Jung-lim that Da-hae is also dabbling in cryptocurrency investments. Jung-lim’s disappointment is palpable, as she laments Da-hae’s decision to embark on a get-rich-quick scheme reminiscent of her father’s ways.
At the office, Ji-song informs his colleagues of Wei Lin’s impending visit. With his parents embarking on a business trip, he is accompanying them, prompting Soo-jin to speculate that marriage might be on the agenda. This revelation sends Ji-song into a tailspin, given his lack of proficiency in Chinese.
Meanwhile, Ji-sang’s father is by his mother’s side in the hospital. She appears to be grappling with memory lapses and requests that Ji-sang and Eun-sang come to visit her. He reaches out to Eun-sang via a phone call, pleading with her to grant his mother this wish.
Jung-lim, spotting Yong-jik loitering outside her home, invites him inside. She chastises him for allegedly corrupting Da-hae, but Yong-jik retorts by claiming that Da-hae inherited her fiery temperament from Jung-lim herself, recalling how Da-hae had bombarded her father with profanity-laden voicemails for three solid years after he left home.
Later, Yong-jik shows up unannounced at Da-hae’s workplace, frustrated by her unanswered calls. He pleads with her for financial support for his latest venture. Da-hae, her patience wearing thin, clarifies that her foray into cryptocurrency was born out of necessity for survival and reiterates her demand for him to stay out of their lives. As she turns to leave, Yong-jik suddenly collapses. Da-hae stands frozen in shock, but Ji-woo, who happens to be nearby, swiftly summons assistance.
At the hospital, Da-hae is confronted with the devastating news that her father has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Ji-woo stands by her side, prepared to face the impending storms together, but Da-hae, feeling as though her life is a labyrinth with no exit, insists she doesn't want to pull him into her abyss. With a heavy heart, she releases Ji-woo's hand and walks away, leaving him behind in a sea of uncertainty.
At work, Oh Dong-gyu strikes up a conversation with Ji-song and quickly discerns that she does indeed harbor intentions of marrying Wei Lin in the future. Meanwhile, at the hospital, Jung-lim approaches Da-hae with a proposal to dip into her savings to fund Yong-jik's treatment. Despite Da-hae's initial reluctance to burden her mother further, Jung-lim, with a mother's intuition, pleads with her to reconsider, knowing deep down that regret would haunt her if she didn't.
A poignant flashback reveals a time when Jung-lim, despite Da-hae's acceptance into a prestigious college, found herself unable to afford the tuition. Da-hae, resourceful and determined, takes on a part-time cleaning job at a loan shark's establishment. One fateful day, the phone rings, and on the other end, Da-hae hears her mother's desperate voice, pleading for a loan, even going as far as to offer her own organs as collateral.
The memory leaves Da-hae in tears, and upon returning home, she concocts a story about botching her entrance exam, thereby paving the way for her to attend her second-choice college, which offers a scholarship. In the present, surrounded by friends, Da-hae ponders why her mother carries such a heavy burden of guilt when she has given her so much. Eun-sang, with a gentle wisdom, explains that this is a sentiment shared by most mothers.
Following this heartfelt exchange, Eun-sang finally pays a visit to her ex-husband's mother in the hospital. They put on a brave face, pretending they are still a married couple and concocting a lie about Ji-sang being away at a school camp. Later, Eun-sang expresses her gratitude to her ex-husband for sharing the weight of parental responsibility with her.
That night, panic sets in for Da-hae when she can't reach her mother. After a frantic search, she finally locates her sitting in the bus she drives every day. Jung-lim, acknowledging Da-hae's autonomy, tells her to do as she pleases with her money. In a surprising twist, Da-hae reveals her plan to use the funds earmarked for her mother's Jeju trip to instead support her father's treatment. With a newfound sense of purpose, Da-hae then shows up at Ji-woo's doorstep, and with one heartfelt smile, she melts his heart, mending the rift between them.
