The Trunk – K-drama Episode 3 Recap & Review

Episode 3

Episode 3 of The Trunk begins with a flashback to In-ji’s first fake husband. She is pessimistic about marriage and thinks it is a disaster. But she changes her mind when he shares he is dying and just needs someone by his side.

At present, In-ji calls out Seo-yeon for being a high school bully. One of her victims even killed herself because of her. Seo-yeon does not deny the accusations and as she leaves, she tells Jeong-won to stick it out with In-ji. She doesn’t trust him yet and he wonders why she suggested her classmate as his fake wife. 

As for In-ji, she visits a P.I., Yoo In-yeong who is looking for her ex-fiance, Do-ha who is constantly on the move. In-yeong wonders why In-ji wants to know and if she will ever confront him.

A while later, an upset Seo-yeon reminds Jeong-won that he has forgotten the death anniversary of their unborn child. A flashback shows that it wasn’t an easy pregnancy. However, she got into a car accident that killed the child. She finds a vinyl record of Jeong-won’s which she offers to give him back and he is grateful.

She wants to drag the conversation but he hangs up as he takes In-ji to the hospital to take out the stitches. He is squeamish which is worsened as he struggles to breathe in the elevator. She calms him down and he wonders why she refuses to show any emotions. She deflects and suggests holding a wedding to seal the deal. Seo-yeon keeps waiting for his call and is annoyed.

Meanwhile, Yun-a’s kids are messy, her husband is unhelpful and she is frustrated. She decides to befriend In-ji for some excitement in her life. Hyeon-cheol is about to ask Jeong-won when he is asked to be the witness.

Later, Jeong-won has dinner with Seo-yeon. She is upset about the hospital visit and the wedding. Along with a sonogram and the record, she gives him 3 blue pills which he clearly has trouble staying away from. He calls her cruel and she claims she is testing him.

At the fake wedding, In-ji ties his tie and knows he kept the suit for his father’s funeral. He is surprised by her attention to detail and she wonders if it’s why she is fated to be alone. He texts Seo-yeon that he will back out if she says so but she never replies. 

Lee Seon officiates the wedding for a year and reveals it can be extended if they want. But if one of them breaches the contract, they cannot speak to each other ever again. They are legally married and he notices that only In-ji has a ring. 

They kick off their honeymoon by watching soccer. He offers her beer and she is amused. He is still sceptical about the fake marriage system and wonders about her past clients. She claims it is to avoid loneliness but he thinks one can be lonely even with other people.

That night, he has a nightmare of drowning. He almost takes the blue pill Seo-yeon has given him but he stops and takes one from the cabinet. In-ji comforts him and he falls asleep. 

The next morning, she returns from kayaking and he tells her about imagining her last night. She reveals it was real as she was beside him and he is shocked. He is upset that they need to sleep in the same bed and creates a scene till she offers to modify the clause.

He goes on a drive in the car she usually uses and sees that she was listening to a recording where she is teaching someone Milonga. As for her, she believes Seo-yeon is drugging him and has all of the pills in his cabinet sent to a lab.

She goes home and Do-dam wonders why she always cleans up and makes food for the house. On top of it, Do-ha will only sell it should she move out. In-ji learns he is settling in Budapest and she seems upset.

Elsewhere, Tae-song teaches a baking class that Yun-a and Seo-yeon attend. Seo-yeon keeps throwing barbs at him. However, Yun-a approaches him for an order and he is sweet to her. 

In the flashforward, the cops think something is off about the trunk case. Jeong-won is brought in and asked which wife the trunk belongs to.

At present, Seo-yeon finally replaces the chandelier and offers to take it. She is surprised that In-ji makes decisions without checking in with Jeong-won. Seo-yeon decides on a double date and In-ji complies. Yun-a shows up and is impressed by how sophisticated In-ji seems. But Seo-yeon watches as In-ji notices Tae-song’s signature cupcakes that Yun-a is holding.

That night, Jeong-won is surprised to see two beds. In-ji keeps her doll on Jeong-won’s side and they end up bonding as she wanted to burn the old chandelier. He wants to know about her life and she tells him she was a dance teacher and goes kayaking. His USB is missing from the car, and she offers to look for it. She promises to protect him from his drowning nightmares and goes to sleep.

It is the night of the double date and they have dinner at Jeong-won’s. It seems to be going Seo-yeon’s way as she is amused by the different beds and how she is sexually active while he isn’t. She is overtly familiar with him to rile up In-ji but it annoys Ji-o instead. He has a necklace with him and keeps recalling a shocking incident.

As for In-ji, she has an answer every time Seo-yeon or Ji-o verbally attack Jeong-won. The last straw is when Seo-yeon makes fun of Jeong-won’s fear of the chandelier. In-ji warns her not to minimize his pain and wonders if she has any old scars. Tired of passive-aggressiveness, Ji-o calls it a night and leaves with Seo-yeon.

Jeong-won is grateful for In-ji and helps her wash the dishes. He asks her about Milonga as he still can’t imagine her dancing. She decides to teach him and it is a sweet moment. He keeps stepping on her toes and they laugh. He suddenly kisses her and Seo-yeon is furious as she watches from the spycam she has installed in the new chandelier. But after a beat, she smiles and The Trunk Episode 3 comes to a close.

The Episode Review

Oh boy, we knew Seo-yeon was a little twisted, but this is bordering on evilness and cruelty with the pills and the spycam. And it makes sense since she was a high school bully who tortured her victim to the extent that the girl committed suicide. How much do you want to bet that In-ji was a victim too or a friend of the first victim? 

Something seems fishy about Seo-yeon’s relationship with Tae-song as well as seen in The Trunk Episode 3. It cannot be a coincidence that he is teaching the baking class she attends. And why did she keep commenting on his teaching style? We didn’t miss her watching In-ji looking at Yun-a’s cupcakes made by Tae-song either. 

But the final nail in the coffin is the spycam in the new chandelier. Her so-called love for Jeong-won is bordering on some twisted obsession, especially since she knows about Mr. Han’s spycam in the chandelier fiasco. Hey, at least In-ji and Jeong-won have warmed up to each other. Pretty sure he is going to regret the kiss but we aren’t going to think about that just yet.