The fifth episode of "Would You Marry Me" commences with Woo-joo's smile of triumph as he dials Me-ri to announce the discovery of her wallet. Concurrently, Woo-ju touches down in Seoul and makes a call to Me-ri, mistakenly believed by her to be the other Woo-joo until she realizes her error and promptly blocks him, much to his chagrin, who now thinks she's playing hard to get.
Meanwhile, our Woo-joo continues his conversation with Pil-nyeon, who brings up the subject of marriage, urging him to marry well and appease the anger of his late grandfather. The next day, Me-ri encounters Sang-hyun on their way to work, where she lies about her husband working late the previous night, turning down his offer of a ride to the bus stop. Sang-hyun heads to a meeting at Myunsoondang, where Pil-nyeon and Han-gu are working on a VVIP package for the Beaute Department store.
As Me-ri texts Sang-hyun about picking up the wallet from the office, Woo-joo fakes a stomach ache and hides in the toilet, only to run into Sang-hyun and Han-gu on their way out. Han-gu swiftly introduces Woo-joo to Sang-hyun, and the two men pretend they're meeting for the first time. Han-gu then asks Woo-joo to see Sang-hyun off in the elevator, giving them a chance to speak in private.
Sang-hyun is understanding, assuming Woo-joo is hiding his identity due to debts. However, he finds it peculiar that Woo-joo looks too fresh for someone who supposedly worked overtime the previous night. Woo-joo, on the other hand, is confused about Sang-hyun's speculation.
Outside, they run into Me-ri, quickly reasserting their roles as a married couple. Sang-hyun leaves without suspicion, and afterward, Woo-joo insists on calling each other at least four times a day to avoid any more mishaps. In reality, he just wants an excuse to talk to Me-ri.
Elsewhere, Woo-ju feels the pressure from his mom and sister to introduce them to Jenny, with his sister eyeing her as an ATM card for her new business venture. Woo-ju storms out in frustration, feeling weighed down by their expectations.
In a fleeting moment of memory, he rewinds to the day he confronted Jenny, laying out his ultimatum after discovering her affair. Unsurprisingly, Jenny chose her wealthy fiancé. Now, Woo-ju finds himself musing on the golden days with Me-ri, longing to reclaim her affection.
That afternoon, Me-ri met with Gyeong-hwa for lunch, and Woo-joo joined them by chance. As they chatted, Gyeong-hwa and Me-ri reminisced about their first love. Me-ri couldn't help but praise her first love's good looks, particularly his "tiny, adorable head." Woo-joo felt both flattered and elated to know he was Me-ri's first love. After lunch, Gyeong-hwa gifted Me-ri a cactus plant, a symbol of resilience and perseverance.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Jin-gyeong's frustration with Sung-woo's attitude grew by leaps and bounds. She made it clear that he would be discharged within the week since he wasn't truly sick. As the evening progressed, she prepared for her date with Woo-joo, but her heart fluttered when she realized Pil-nyeon was the one who suggested the venue and everything else. She hesitated to confess her feelings but couldn't help but bring up her first love and how he had finally met her again. Woo-joo revealed that he once searched for Me-ri but felt guilty about approaching her due to overhearing that her father had died on his way to the police station to provide more details about his parents' accident. He sought advice from Jin-gyeong and was told to keep the truth from Me-ri.
At the hospital, Sung-woo belittled Sang-hyun after a magazine mistakenly credited Sang-hyun for Beaute's success. Sang-hyun was shattered by the harsh words. Meanwhile, Jin-gyeong was mopey after her failed date with Woo-joo. She ended up playing the piano at the hospital, and Sang-hyun overheard the music and watched her from afar with a look of longing in his eyes.
The next day, Woo-joo's family visited the temple to pay tribute on his parents' death anniversary. Despite it being his birthday, he couldn't celebrate it due to the somber occasion. Woo-joo overheard Mi-yeon blaming him for his parents' death. It turned out that the accident occurred when Woo-joo's father turned to talk to him while driving, and everyone in his family blamed him for it. This was why his grandfather sent him to America. Woo-joo also blamed himself for what happened, but little did he know that Han-gu was the mastermind behind it all. He had hired the white truck driver to cause the accident.
Upon his return home, Woo-joo experiences a gentle panic attack as he relives the traumatic accident. Me-ri, filled with excitement, messages him about the blooming cactus, which serves as a soothing distraction. Upon reading her text, his demeanor improves significantly. Realizing it's his birthday, she extends an invitation for him to join her for a meal. While she worries about coming off as flirtatious, she is relieved when Woo-joo accepts her offer.
She reaches out to her mother via video call, seeking inspiration for some recipes. When Woo-joo arrives, he is touched by how beautifully she has set the table. Despite the seaweed soup being slightly salty, he appreciates the effort made to celebrate his birthday. He confides in her that ever since his parents' passing, no one has wished him a happy birthday. On his birthday, he admits to intentionally sleeping, hoping to erase the day from his memory.
Me-ri commends him for finding a way to cope and makes him feel better. As the rain stops outside, Me-ri spots a double rainbow and drags him outside to make a wish. She shares all the wishes she made and inquires about his own. He playfully refuses to divulge it, and they start running around in circles. Me-ri promises to catch him and make him confess his wish.
As they play, she trips over a water pipe and lands on his chest. She quickly pulls away, and he moves closer as if he is about to kiss her. The episode ends with Woo-ju watching the entire scene unfold from Me-ri’s gate, entranced by the unexpected turn of events and the tender moment between the two.
