Episode 3 of "When the Stars Gossip" kicks off with the ensemble aboard the space station settling down for a meal, their laughter and chatter filling the air. However, Ryong is conspicuously absent, confined to his quarters where he gazes intently at a photograph of Go-eun, yet his thoughts keep drifting towards Eve. As if summoned by an unseen force, Eve appears at his door, catching him off guard with her timely presence. She coaxes him to join the group for a bite, highlighting the camaraderie that binds them.
The social dynamic within the group shifts as they gather around to witness the unveiling of the lottery numbers, a moment that also serves as Kang-su's cue to slip away and resume his clandestine mission of artificial insemination.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Go-eun visits her father, Jae-ryong, in a desperate attempt to persuade him to reconsider and allow Ryong to fulfill his duties. Jae-ryong, steadfast and unyielding, refuses her plea and retreats to his office to monitor the lottery draw. He receives crucial information from his colleague, which not only serves as a narrative device to educate the audience about the intricacies of artificial insemination but also fuels Jae-ryong's resolve.
Kang-su diligently progresses with his task, reporting back to the Chairman that he has successfully completed seven out of ten assignments, with a solemn promise to wrap up the remainder by the mission's end. His progress is abruptly halted by Ryong, who, still greenhorn in space, is astounded to learn about Kang-su and Eve's upcoming spacewalk along the vessel's exterior. Eve solemnly reveals the perilous nature of their endeavor, noting that astronauts often draft wills as a precautionary measure before venturing into the unknown.
Ryong is worried for he safety, but of course couldn’t care less about Kang-su, which is pretty amusing given how he phrases it. Speaking of Kang-su, he receives a call from Go-eun, who’s furious about the whole egg mission. She calls him a melon-headed asshole but he doesn’t listen to any of it, instead marvelling over her beauty and saying “how pretty”.
As fate would have it, one of the astronauts, Mina Lee, finds a winning lottery ticket and is shocked given the winning amount is 500 billion won. There’s a whole montage here involving what she’d do with the winnings, before we get back down to brass tacks.
Ryong rings through to his friend back home and decides to put a new plan into action. He intends to set off the fire alarm by going all-out on the treadmill, short-circuiting the power and getting the eggs for himself. Now, while the others are out on their spacewalk, this will be the opportune time for him as the power will shut off, it’ll deactivate the locks on the cryogenic freezer, and he can get the eggs.
While he bides his time, Eve writes up her will, at the request of Ryong, and comes with happy news. Turns out those fruit flies from before are pregnant! Ryong and Eve agree to keep this a secret from Kang-su, knowing that he’d just get rid of them if he finds out. There’s some nice banter between them here too, as Ryong encourages her to meet up when she’s back and they’re on earth together.
For now though, the attention turns to the 141st spacewalk. Their mission is to fix the broken solar panel and while Eve and Kang-su are busy outside, Ryong does what he can to shut down the power. It works, and he hurriedly takes the samples and hides the eggs inside the flowers, where he also discovers the winning lottery ticket that Mina Lee has stashed in there.
Ryong arrives just as the other astronauts make their appearance, narrowly avoiding disaster. As expected, Mission Control swiftly rebukes him for nearly sparking a catastrophic fire, but Eve stands by his side, defending him fiercely. The power flickers back to life, yet Kang-su's troubles with his suit force him to retreat before he can express gratitude to Eve. Meanwhile, Eve finds herself ensnared in an unexpected dilemma, losing her footing and becoming tangled amidst the sprawling solar panels. The situation rapidly intensifies as she's thrown around at breathtaking speeds, desperately clutching at anything within reach to steady herself.
In her frantic struggle to grasp the panel for stability, Eve's glove sustains damage, leaving her in dire need of shelter to prevent depressurization and the imminent risk of death. Seung-jun, filled with urgency, yearns to rush out and rescue Eve, who's perilously trapped. She, on the other hand, battles against the odds, striving to free herself and scramble back to the airlock before it's too late. Alas, her suit begins to lose pressure, and as consciousness slips away, the outlook dims to an ominous gloom.
