Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Seo Dan’s arrival makes Jeong-hyeok’s invented engagement harder to maintain. He introduces Se-ri as a colleague on a mission and agrees to meet Dan’s family, while the village women rally around the woman they believe has been wronged. Se-ri defends him and uses their sympathy to keep pursuing his promotion. Jeong-hyeok returns with another escape plan: she will travel abroad disguised as a reserve athlete.
That plan requires a trip to Pyongyang for passport photographs. Before they leave, Cheol-gang questions and beats the four soldiers about Se-ri, but Jeong-hyeok intervenes and takes them away. Se-ri thanks the men with finger hearts, leaving their captain unexpectedly jealous. Man-bok hears the travel arrangements and reports them, even while remembering the kindness of Jeong-hyeok’s brother. Se-ri’s help for his bullied son adds to his discomfort.
The train stalls for hours, leaving Jeong-hyeok and Se-ri to eat beside a fire with the other passengers. Their conversation moves beyond escape plans to disappointment and the possibility of a better future. In Pyongyang, Seung-jun discovers that his protectors may sell him out to Se-ri’s brother, who still wants his money back. He then sees Se-ri alive in the hotel and pulls her into a lift. Jeong-hyeok stops the doors and confronts him.