My Youth Episode 3 Recap: Past That Refuses to Stay Quiet

In My Youth Episode 3, Je Yeon & Sunwoo went their separate ways. But that night stuck to both of them like static.

Je Yeon said in her voiceover that she would be lying if she said she didn’t miss Sunwoo. She remembered their old moments like she was rewinding a cassette. The way she smiled at nothing showed how heavy those memories still were.

After leaving the bar, Sunwoo thanked her. He said his path was dark, and she made it bright. It was a rare moment of honesty from him.

The story shifted to Pil Do and Seok-Ju’s world. Pil Do is Sunwoo’s stepmother and the CEO of the agency where Je Yeon works. Je Yeon manages Tae-rin, who has been stuck with her child actor image for years.

Tae-rin feels trapped in it and hates doing more historical dramas. Pil Do seemed distant but observant. She later asked Je Yeon about the man she saw with her at the office the previous night.

Je Yeon casually said it was Sunwoo. She has no idea Pil Do is Sunwoo’s stepmother. Pil Do stayed silent. Her eyes, though, said a lot. Sunwoo’s father had left Sunwoo years ago.

He married Pil Do for greed and status, leaving his son behind like discarded luggage. That wound still lives in Sunwoo.

When Old Wounds Surface Again

Je Yeon visited Sunwoo’s flower shop to talk about the project. They want him to join Tae-rin for a documentary. Both of them were child actors once, known as the “national siblings.”

Je Yeon called him just a high school batchmate. Sunwoo grinned and teased her about the kiss they shared back then.

She turned red and threatened to not spare him if he acted funny. They had bickering but quickly shook hands. They promised not to get on each other’s nerves until filming ended. It was awkward but real.

Producer So-Ra came too. She wanted to convince Sunwoo not to drop this project. Her tone showed urgency. The documentary matters to her career.

We saw Sunwoo’s old life again through a flashback. He was a famous child actor back then. His mother’s death by suicide shocked the industry. Debt collectors had caused a public scene.

That news turned into gossip and ruined his name. The pain from that time still follows him like a shadow.

The documentary started filming. Sunwoo and Tae-rin met on set for the first time in years. They said hello stiffly. Then they slipped into their old characters’ catchphrases, calling out “beat and bebop” in their cute voices. The crew laughed.

Producer So-Ra told Je Yeon to act like a customer who recognizes Sunwoo and gets shy. Je Yeon was terrible at it. She made everyone cringe. Sunwoo teased her with a grin, and she glared at him. That small chaos broke the ice between them.

They shot more scenes showing his daily life. Sunwoo taught Tae-rin how he runs his shop. The next day they went out to eat and drink. Their bickering energy returned, just like when they were kids.

During the shoot, Sunwoo finally noticed that Pil Do was the company CEO. He froze.

Sunwoo had cut ties with her and his dad years ago. He chose to live with his sister Nu-ri instead. Meeting Pil Do after years shook him quietly.

Sunwoo’s act of returning the money isn’t just about pride. It’s a powerful psychological move to sever the last remaining thread of obligation and control that Pil Do’s family had over him.

By giving back the money, he reframes their relationship: he is no longer the indebted, begging child, but an independent adult closing a toxic account.

There was a flashback to when Sunwoo once visited his father’s house before going to the military. He wanted to make sure Nu-ri was cared for.

His father planned to send Nu-ri to live with another woman. Sunwoo begged Pil Do to stop it, but she ignored him.

Back in the present, Sunwoo returned the money Pil Do had once given him for school. He said he wanted to clear his conscience. His voice was calm but cold.

Later, it was revealed that Seok-Ju eventually took Nu-ri back home and gave her a room when Sunwoo was away serving.

Old pain returned when online articles used his mother’s suicide as clickbait. They twisted it with claims of fraud and debt. Reading them triggered Sunwoo’s panic attacks. He could barely breathe.

In that moment, Je Yeon found him. She wrapped her arms around him from behind. He cried silently. She apologized for not realizing the backlash would hit him this hard.

Before she left, he stopped her. He asked her to hold him once more. She did. They stayed like that, quiet and still, like they had paused time.

KEY THEMES & QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

• The Burden of the Past: The episode constantly contrasts past and present selves. Can we ever truly escape the identities forced upon us in childhood?
• Trauma and Public Scrutiny: The show handles Sunwoo’s panic attacks with sensitivity, highlighting the very real impact of media exploitation and public shame.

• Silent Understanding vs. Words: The most powerful moments are silent—Pil Do’s observant eyes, the final embrace. What does this say about how the characters communicate?

The episode carried a quiet sadness under its surface. It showed how fame leaves scars long after the spotlight fades. The bond between Je Yeon and Sunwoo feels fragile but real, like two people holding the pieces of their broken pasts together.

What did you think? Was Pil Do’s silence guilt or indifference? How do you think the documentary will impact Sunwoo’s healing? Let us know in the comments below!

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