The Indecent Octopus Tentacles Gene

DNA Lover episode 3 picks up from where we left off, with So-jin and Yeon-u falling from the rooftop. Even in this intense life-and-death situation, So-jin can’t help but be attracted to Yeon-u’s scent. They finally fall on the inflatable bag and Gang-hun rushes to help So-jin. He also checks on Yeon-u and this is when they realise they mutually know each other. 

After So-jin and Yeon-u insist they are okay, Yeon-U leaves to attend to Yoo-young while So-jin leaves to have a drink. She heads to her favourite park and has a few drinks as she remembers her dad. Gang-hun follows her and they talk about how traumatising her dad’s death was.

So-jin blames herself for seeing the depression signs in her dad but doing nothing. Surprisingly, we learn she and So-ri are sisters. Their family fell apart long before their dad died and once he was gone, they cut ties. On the other hand, Gang-hun blames himself for not being able to save So-jin’s dad, even though he was one of the paramedics on the scene. He comforts his friend and takes her home. Meanwhile, Yeon-u is struggling with some back pain and keeps wondering why he used So-jin’s words to comfort Yoo-young.

The next day, Yeon-u’s doctor friend joins the gym since he can’t stop thinking about Sung-mi. He thinks she is cool, but hesitates to approach her directly. He finds her scent attractive. Speaking of scents, So-jin can’t stop thinking about Yeon-u’s scent. She decides to find a way to test his DNA and see if she imagines the attraction. She starts by approaching Gang-hun and checking if Yeon-u drops by the restaurant often. When her first plan fails, she convinces Gang-hun to accept Yeon-u’s invitation to play a friendly basketball match at the hospital.

She tags along and cheers for the team while anxiously waiting for a chance to get Yeon-u’s sweat. The guys think she is their lucky charm and feel glad she came to the game. After the game, she steals Yeon-u’s jersey, but he sees her. Thankfully, he ignores the urge to ask her what she is doing, even though he is curious. She uses the sweat on Yeon-u’s jersey to extract his unique scent and realise she is truly attracted to his scent. She likes his scent, but A-ri thinks Yeon-u’s scent is like a sewer. After making this discovery, So-jin decides to ask for Yeon-u’s consent to check for the cheating gene.

Meanwhile, Yeon-u attends an exhibition with Mi-eun. The artist,  Myeong Hui, happens to be close to Mi-eun and refers to her as a daughter. However, her real daughters are So-jin and So-ri. One of Myeong Hui’s pieces depicts her struggle with motherhood and how she felt worn down after giving birth to her children. She felt like they were holding her back. Later, Yeon-u has dinner with Mi-eun and admits he is curious about So-jin. He also alludes to understanding why Myeong Hui cut ties with her family. He probably wishes he could cut ties with his parents.

At the hospital, Yeon-u gets a new case, but So-jin’s antics distract him. He wants to ask her, but he is unsure if he wants to know the answer. A chance comes up when his friends ask him to invite Gang-hun and So-jin to dinner. While sharing a meal, the topic of octopus having multiple partners comes up and So-jin explains why she hates octopuses. Yeon-u feels she is being unfair to his favourite dish and they argue. As they talk, So-jin chokes on a piece of an octopus and Yeon-u helps her. 

After the eventful meal, Yeon-u follows So-jin outside and asks why she stole his jersey. She explains that she wanted to test why she found his scent attractive. He is flattered that she is admitting she likes him. He points this out, and she gets flustered. Thankfully, Gang-hun interrupts them and she gets an escape. 

For the next few days, So-jin worries about getting Yeon-u’s consent to run the cheating gene test. After much contemplation, she decides to do it when she drops by to give Yeon-u the Super Teol antidote. However, Yeon-u refuses to consent, saying that is not how a man and a woman learn about each other. She asks if he is attracted to her scent but gets shy when he gets close to her.

Elsewhere, Sung-mi and Gang-hun spot an apartment on fire and rush to help. It turns out to be Mi-eun’s apartment. She takes a special liking to Gang-hun after he saves her life and scolds her for not connecting her emergency announcement speaker properly.

Later, So-jin, So-ri and Myeong Hui have a tribute dinner for their dad at Gang-hun’s dad’s restaurant. Myeong-hui is still acting as if So-jin’s dad was weak for killing himself. She thinks that he is at fault for getting depressed after losing his job and being unable to provide for his family. The three get into a loud argument, blaming each other for the part they played. Everyone in the restaurant hears them, including Yeon-u, who also dropped by for dinner. So-jin loses it and walks out in anger after her mom blames her.

As Gang-hun is busy, he is unable to rush after So-jin. Yeon-u follows her and tries to ignore her, but fails. He joins her at her favourite park and listens while she vents. She believes love is painful, especially if it is one-sided. She wants to find her DNA lover so she can be there for him. After hearing this, Yeon-u finds her even more attractive and gives her consent to test his DNA. A happy So-jin rushes to the lab, excited to find out if Yeon-u has the cheating gene. It turns out that he has the highest level of the cheating gene she has ever seen. Through the epilogue, we learn she accidentally took Gang-hun’s jersey.

The Episode Review

Myeong Hui is a toxic mom. She is bitter about how her life turned out and blames her children and her husband. She said some cruel words to So-jin. It is heartbreaking to realise that your mom sees you as the weapon formed against her. To know that your mother hates your existence is so hurtful. 

Away from the family drama, Yeon-u is falling for So-jin and he knows it. He is playing it cool and letting her come to him. However, with the latest development, will So-jin lose interest in him? Also, does this mean that So-jin is attracted to Gang-hun and Yeon-u’s scents at the same time? How come Gang-hun is not a player, even though he has the highest level of the cheating gene? Has it been dormant all this time and what will happen to trigger him?