Episode 3 of "When Life Gives You Tangerines" picks up right where the previous chapter left off, with Ae-soon and Gwan-sik finding themselves at a police station following their daring bid to reclaim their possessions from the deceptive duo. Here, they receive a shocking revelation: Gwan-sik's mother has arrived in Busan, tirelessly searching for them at various precincts. Upon their reunion, she insists on the immediate return of her treasured "golden frog," an invaluable heirloom that Gwan-sik had taken with him from their home.
Unbeknownst to them, the woman who had robbed them has already pawned their jewelry, including the golden frog. When it's time to settle their debt at the scammers' abode, Gwan-sik's mother is already there, demanding what is rightfully hers. A scuffle ensues, prompting the police to intervene and arrest the scammer, who turns out to be a seasoned criminal. With the mess finally sorted out, Gwan-sik, Ae-soon, and his mother make their way back to Jeju.
Upon returning home, Gwan-sik discovers that while he has merely been suspended from school, Ae-soon's enrollment has been irrevocably terminated. Confronting Ae-soon's grandmother, he uncovers a painful truth: society views a runaway boy as courageous, but a runaway girl as disgraceful. Consequently, Ae-soon is left with only a middle school diploma to her name. In a heartfelt gesture, Gwan-sik vows to marry Ae-soon.
The following day, Gwan-sik's mother pays a visit to Ae-soon, gently persuading her to reconsider his proposal. Later, when Gwan-sik approaches Ae-soon's uncle to seek his blessing for their marriage, Ae-soon surprisingly declines.
As a result, Ae-soon finds herself on an unwitting blind date with a thirty-year-old man, who is in search of a second wife to nurture his children and offers to finance her college education in exchange. This revelation plunges Ae-soon into a profound sorrow, as she acutely realizes this is precisely what her mother had vociferously warned her against—becoming someone's domestic drudge.
That fateful night, upon discovering Ae-soon's arranged marriage to this older gentleman, Gwan-sik confronts her uncle and grandmother with a fury born of desperation. In his quest to halt this union, he eventually catches up with Ae-soon as she walks alongside her intended spouse. He gently pulls her aside, imploring her with all his might to reconsider this marital venture. As a token of his sincerity, he slips a ring onto her finger, which she promptly snatches off and hurls into a nearby field, declaring that for her to find happiness, he must relinquish his hold on her, for he stands as an impediment to her cherished freedom.
Heartbroken, Gwan-sik turns and walks away, leaving behind a trail of shattered dreams. Later, Ae-soon endeavors to retrieve the ring but to no avail. The following day, with a heavy heart, she selects her wedding gown, while Gwan-sik boards a ferry bound for the mainland to participate in an athletic competition. It then transpires that Gwan-sik's mother had confidentially imparted to Ae-soon his exceptional prowess in sports and how marrying her would necessitate sacrificing his promising future.
This revelation spurred Ae-soon to feign disinterest in marrying him, hoping to propel him towards fulfilling his dreams. Ironically, Gwan-sik had embarked on his athletic journey solely with the aspiration of winning medals to secure a future for Ae-soon. Now, bereft of her, he has lost all semblance of interest in sports, his passion extinguished in the wake of her rejection.
Recognizing Gwan-sik as her unwavering pillar of support since her childhood days, Ae-soon finally succumbs to her overflowing emotions. With heart pounding, she dashes towards the harbor, only to discover, upon her arrival, that the ship carrying her beloved has already sailed away. Devastated, she shouts his name into the wind, her voice carrying her desperate hope that he might still hear her.
Just as despair begins to set in and it seems Gwan-sik has truly left her behind, a miracle unfolds. He catches her heart-wrenching cries, spots her frantically racing towards him, and, in a moment brimming with drama, plunges into the sea, swimming against the current to reach her side. The villagers, moved by the display of love, erupt into cheers as the couple finally embraces, defying Gwan-sik's family's disapproval.
Shifting to the present timeline, Gwan-sik's sister reveals to Ae-soon's daughter that she was conceived on the fateful night of their parents' poignant reunion. The narrative then flashes back to a tender scene of the young parents, their eyes twinkling with love as they play with their daughter, Geum-myeong. Through her innocent narration, we learn that her parents had sacrificed their dreams to embark on the journey of parenthood at such a tender age.
In the heartwarming epilogue, it is uncovered that Gwan-sik had covertly visited a pawn shop to reclaim a wedding ring for Ae-soon, a gesture of his enduring commitment. The episode concludes on a joyous note, with the couple selecting their wedding attire, ready to finally tie the knot in a celebration of their enduring love.
