Love Your Enemy Episode 3 Review: Innocent Love Story Ruined By a Pathetic Friend

The previous episode explores the fiery dynamics between Yun Jiwon and Seok Jiwon as they navigate their past rivalry and present tension. Seok Jiwon’s return as chairman disrupts Yun Jiwon’s life, triggering clashes over a new gifted class and unresolved emotions from their shared history. As professional challenges mount, personal encounters, including an awkward dinner at Yun Jiwon’s home and a creative club gathering, reveal the undercurrents of their strained relationship.

The episode introduces quirky new trainee Mun-su, hints at hidden motives surrounding the golf course project, and unveils a dramatic bet tied to a lilac bush, echoing a pivotal high school moment. The lilac bush becomes a symbol of their unresolved feelings, setting the stage for further conflict and introspection.

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Love Your Enemy Episode 3 Recap

The episode begins where the previous one left off, with Yun Jiwon and Seok Jiwon placing a bet on the lilac bush blooming. Suddenly, Mun-su gets up and starts throwing up after drinking too much. The next day at school, Yun Jiwon notices notes and posters from students placed near the lilac bush, supporting Seok Jiwon. Irritated, she becomes even more determined to bring him down. Meanwhile, Gyeong-tae pressures the school officials to organize a grand inaugural ceremony for Seok Jiwon. Though Seok Jiwon opposes the idea, Gyeong-tae insists and slyly assigns Yun Jiwon to plan it, using his authority to settle old family grievances.

Initially unaware of Gyeong-tae’s motives, Yun Jiwon grows suspicious when she and Seok Jiwon overhear the acting principal and the creative club head discussing how Gyeong-tae is manipulating the situation. Both realize his intentions to exploit their strained history. Meanwhile, a strange moment unfolds involving Mr. Hong. As Yun Jiwon and Seok Jiwon leave, a student visits Mr. Hong’s office. The way he looks at her seems unsettling. Later, the student returns to class but appears lost in thought, hinting at something unusual.

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Later that day, as Yun Jiwon prepares to head home, the acting principal hands her a card and demands she buy quality fruits for the next day’s meeting. Taking Mun-su along, she splurges on fresh fruits in town. Meanwhile, Seok Jiwon confronts the principal, ordering her to stop burdening Yun Jiwon with his inauguration plans. On his way home, Seok Jiwon spots a riverside area that used to be a favorite hangout for him and Yun Jiwon. His assistant encourages him to visit, suggesting he might regret it later.

At the same time, Yun Jiwon, aware of the spot’s reputation for being haunted, takes Mun-su there to scare him. She sends him to buy beer while she waits at the riverside. Hearing footsteps, she assumes it’s Mun-su, but to her surprise, it’s Seok Jiwon. He casually asks if she visits the spot often, to which she replies that it helps her relax. This leads to a flashback of their high school romance.

The flashback reveals that when Seok Jiwon confessed his feelings to Yun Jiwon, she secretly reciprocated. They decided to keep their relationship private to avoid family interference. They spent time together at the riverside, studied at the library, and shared memorable vacations. Their bond deepened despite occasional arguments, such as when Seok Jiwon forgot a date due to a soccer game. That night, he reconciled by throwing pebbles at her window, reminding her of a promise she made to always let him in before the third pebble. They made up and shared their first kiss.

One summer, Yun Jiwon was forced to choose between spending time with her best friend Ji-hye or joining Seok Jiwon on a planned outing. To her surprise, their camping sites overlapped, and their friends began suspecting their relationship. While buying ramen, Yun Jiwon spotted another girl confessing to Seok Jiwon, leading to an argument. The same evening, Seok Jiwon’s father, Gyeong-tae, collapsed during a heated argument with Yun Jiwon’s grandfather, Jae-ho. Seok Jiwon accompanied his father to the hospital, leaving Yun Jiwon anxious and unable to contact him in the following days.

Their attempts to reconnect were poorly timed, with each misunderstanding the other’s intentions. On their shared birthday, they tried to honor a promise to meet. Yun Jiwon waited for him at their spot by the river, while Seok Jiwon arrived at her house with a red hand-knit scarf, unaware she wasn’t home. Both left heartbroken, believing the other had moved on. Back in the present, Yun Jiwon snaps at Seok Jiwon, vowing to plan an incredible inauguration ceremony just to spite him. Frustrated, he storms off.

Meanwhile, Ji-hye is seen drinking at a bar, reminiscing about her past. Earlier in the episode, she confessed her feelings for Seok Jiwon, only for him to remind her that he had asked her long ago to stop meddling in his life. This triggers Ji-hye to recall a dark moment: years ago, driven by jealousy, she had secretly blocked Seok Jiwon’s new number on Yun Jiwon’s phone, ensuring they couldn’t reconnect. She had taken advantage of Yun Jiwon’s vulnerability, preventing them from patching things up.

The episode concludes dramatically. Yun Jiwon trips and falls into the river, and Seok Jiwon dives in to save her, leaving viewers wondering if this will thaw the icy tension between them.

Love Your Enemy Episode 3 Review

This episode does an excellent job of diving deeper into the layered history between Yun Jiwon and Seok Jiwon, blending nostalgia with unresolved emotions. The flashbacks to their high school romance are especially poignant, offering a glimpse into a time when their love was pure and untainted by misunderstandings or external manipulation. Their secret dates, tender moments, and even petty arguments feel authentic, making their eventual fallout all the more heartbreaking. The parallel timelines, with Yun Jiwon and Seok Jiwon navigating their current animosity while still carrying the weight of their shared past, keep the emotional tension high. Ji-hye’s revelation of her meddling adds a juicy layer of betrayal, hinting that their separation wasn’t entirely their fault.

What stands out most in this episode is the character development. Yun Jiwon’s fiery determination to beat Seok Jiwon, mixed with her lingering vulnerability, makes her incredibly relatable. Meanwhile, Seok Jiwon’s internal conflict—caught between his frustration and his lingering care for her—is subtly portrayed. The episode balances humor, like Mun-su’s drunken antics, with darker undertones, such as Mr. Hong’s unsettling behavior and the rivalry between their families. The dramatic ending, with Seok Jiwon diving in to save Yun Jiwon, perfectly ties together the unresolved tension and sets up for what promises to be an emotionally charged next chapter.

Love Your Enemy is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

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