Pump Up the Healthy Love- Episodes 5-6

Daddy Drama, Flour Withdrawal & a Bagel Heist

Episode 5 of Pump Up the Healthy Love gives us emotional whiplash in the best way possible — unexpected kids, sabotage-by-carb, and a bagel chase through the streets of Seoul.

We kick off with a jaw-dropper: a little boy strolls into the gym and calls Hyeon-joong “Daddy.” Enter Hye-bin, a frazzled single mom who claims her son, Ji-ho, ran off. She nearly faints on the spot, and Hyeon-joong — ever the judgmental softie — declares she desperately needs to exercise. Since she has no one to watch Ji-ho, Hyeon-joong agrees to babysit while training her. What could go wrong?

Meanwhile, Mi-ran is back at work just in time for Ye-jin’s smug return from her Hawaii honeymoon. Ye-jin hands out sweets to everyone but gifts Mi-ran a single Hawaiian doll. The shade! But karma delivers: Mi-ran is chosen to present the new Hawaii tour package on a live show. Apparently, someone told the PR team she’s an expert. (Wonder who... 👀)

Ye-jin tries to swoop in and steal the spotlight, but Joon-bae shuts that down. Still, Ye-jin lands a blow by warning Mi-ran that cameras add weight. Rattled, Mi-ran declares war on flour — and makes a bet with Hyeon-joong. If she lasts without it, he has to eat teokbokki. If she caves? She has to dance live on TV.

As Hye-bin returns for training, Ji-ho proves to be a handful. Hyeon-joong is visibly exhausted, and even Alex can’t handle the kid. Ro-yi shows up just in time to rub salt in the wound, and Hyeon-joong — sleep-deprived and overstretched — collapses to his knees in the middle of the street.

Meanwhile, Mi-ran’s flour detox is spiraling. She's hallucinating conversations with bread. At work, she stares down a salad like it's an enemy. At home, Ji-ran and Kang Dan are shoveling down jjajangmyeon, and she’s one angry noodle away from snapping. Then she gets a text from Hyeon-joong that seems to blame her for everything. Rage: activated.

What she doesn’t know is Hyeon-joong meant to apologize but fell asleep mid-text. Whoops.

While Mi-ran’s fighting cravings, Hyeon-joong hits an emotional low. He dreams of Director Dong scolding him for being too mentally weak to run the gym or care for Ji-ho. When Hye-bin calls to schedule a session, he fakes being sick. Classic burnout move.

As Mi-ran preps for her TV debut, she’s thrown off by her host eating a bagel mid-meeting. That doughy roundness mocks her, and she leaves rattled. Meanwhile, Hyeon-joong tries to reset by working out in a park — but fate strikes again. He bumps into Hye-bin and Ji-ho, runs away, and ends up in a photobooth… crashing Ji-ran and Kang Dan’s date. Ji-ran demands payment, and when Hyeon-joong can’t cough up cash, Hye-bin covers for him and quietly says she won’t be coming back to the gym.

Later, at the grocery store, Rosa spots Hye-bin and Ji-ho. Hyeon-joong rushes over, sees Ji-ho mid-tantrum, and calms him down with lunges. This somehow works. He convinces Hye-bin to return, and she confesses how guilty she felt enjoying her freedom. But Hyeon-joong reassures her — Ji-ho is a lot. They decide to start a kids’ fitness center, and suddenly, the gym has a little army of tiny workout warriors.

Then comes Bagel-Gate. Ye-jin brings bagels to work for everyone — except Mi-ran. Our flour-deprived heroine snaps. She imagines Joon-bae offering her a bagel and takes it. But outside, a thief snatches the package! Mi-ran runs after him, and out of nowhere, Hyeon-joong shows up and helps her get it back.

The twist? It was just a bagel. Not cash. Hyeon-joong is stunned. Mi-ran breaks down, confessing her flour addiction. He tells her to eat the damn bagel — she earned it.

And finally, the big day arrives: Mi-ran nails her Live Market appearance. Confidence, charm, wit — she brings it all. Hyeon-joong watches proudly. Even Joon-seok can’t help but smile. But just as Mi-ran basks in her success, she gets a text from Joon-seok… only for him to delete it before she can read it. Mysterious much?

Epilogue: We flash back to Hyeon-joong falling asleep mid-text while trying to apologize to Mi-ran. So yeah — that passive-aggressive message wasn’t intentional. Just sleep-deprived texting at its worst.

Treadmills, Tension & One Glorious Resistance Band Smackdown

Episode 6 of Pump Up the Healthy Love opens with Mi-ran doing what any emotionally overwhelmed woman might do: running away from her feelings... on a treadmill. Still hung up on Joon-seok’s mysterious deleted message, she pushes herself so hard that the treadmill literally gives up and dies. Unfortunately, so does the gym’s budget. Replacing it? Not happening.

The solution? Sell more personal training sessions with Hyeon-joong. He even slaps up a flashy “30% off” sign, but the gym members couldn’t care less. Mi-ran jumps into action and convinces Seong-im, one of the three regular “aunties,” to sign up. Victory! She and Hyeon-joong high five, and he notices her developing gym calluses — a badge of honor, apparently. He even gifts her hand cream. It's a small moment, but it leaves Mi-ran glowing... until she gets home.

Cue sister drama. Ji-ran is sobbing — Kang Dan broke up with her because he was “too happy” and it was messing with his songwriting. (Yes, really.) Mi-ran, ever the supportive unni, vows to help her move on.

Back at the gym, Seong-im starts her training, and let’s just say… she’s a little too excited. She turns the gym into her personal playground, and Hyeon-joong into her private butler/therapist/personal assistant. From dusting the gym to monopolizing his time, she’s everywhere — and he quickly realizes he hasn’t worked out in days.

Meanwhile, Mi-ran’s star continues to rise. She finds out her Hawaii segment was a hit — and the person who recommended her for it? None other than Joon-seok. Ye-jin, ever salty, breaks the news with a weird smile.

Later, Mi-ran drags Ji-ran to the gym to help her move on from her breakup. But when Hyeon-joong sees Ji-ran, he recognizes her from the photobooth incident (awkward!) and tries to act like he doesn’t know her. Mi-ran, meanwhile, goes overboard trying to impress her sister and nearly injures herself on unfamiliar equipment. Hyeon-joong, ever the sneaky savior, helps her cover it up.

Things take a dramatic turn when Seong-im invites Hyeon-joong out to dinner. Just as he’s about to tell her they need boundaries, she spots her husband with another woman. She begs Hyeon-joong to hide her. He does. Later, she confesses she stays married for her daughter’s sake but hates being at home — the gym is her safe space, and Hyeon-joong’s kindness means more than he knows.

Hyeon-joong is stuck between compassion and exhaustion, reflecting on how complicated people’s lives can be. Mi-ran, on the other hand, is discovering how empowering fitness can be — both she and Ji-ran feel mentally stronger post-workout.

Back at the gym, Hyeon-joong gently teaches Seong-im an exercise to help her let go — both physically and emotionally. She tells him it’s not that simple when it comes to family.

But fate forces her hand. As Seong-im and the gym ladies head out to eat, they run into her husband and his girlfriend. He has the audacity to ask her to cook for his “colleague.” That’s when Seong-im SNAPS. Hyeon-joong hands her a resistance band, and with one swift move, she smacks her husband across the face. Justice is served. Mi-ran even trips him for good measure. It’s a full-blown gym squad power move, and honestly? Worth the whole episode.

The team celebrates with drinks, and on the way home, Mi-ran and Ji-ran stop to help a trash collector. Just then, Joon-seok appears. Mi-ran panics and ducks behind a pile of garbage, then asks Ji-ran to casually ask him about the deleted text.

But Ji-ran sees through her. Mi-ran isn’t over Joon-seok — not even close. Ji-ran, still raw from her own breakup, calls Kang Dan and begs him to come back. Mi-ran ends up in tears at the gym again, especially when she sees one of her hard-earned calluses has fallen off. It’s a silly thing, but to her, it means something deeper — like her strength slipping away. She cries to Hyeon-joong, who comforts her without judgment.

Epilogue: Joon-seok spots Mi-ran crying in the street. Before he can say anything, Seong-im shows up and mistakes him for a pervert. That’s what we call karma.

DramaZen's Opinion

Episodes 5 and 6 of Pump Up the Healthy Love are everything. We’re talking unexpected kids, flour withdrawal breakdowns, emotional breakthroughs, and one glorious moment where a cheating husband gets slapped with a resistance band. Yes, this drama continues to deliver chaos and catharsis in equal measure.

Mi-ran is fully in her healing/gym rat era, swearing off carbs, dodging sabotage bagels, and crying over lost calluses — which honestly hit harder than expected. Her chemistry with Hyeon-joong keeps growing, from hand cream exchanges to emotional pep talks, and we are living for it.

Meanwhile, Hyeon-joong is dealing with a surprise child (not his, thankfully), a client who won't let him lift weights in peace, and a whole existential crisis wrapped in muscle soreness. The man needs sleep, a hug, and maybe a vacation.

And let’s not forget Seong-im, who went from overenthusiastic gym newbie to absolute queen when she smacked her awful husband in the face. With a resistance band. In broad daylight. Icon behavior.

These episodes mix heart, humor, and healing so effortlessly. Pump Up the Healthy Love is low-key becoming the feel-good, slow-burn drama we didn’t know we needed — and I’m completely hooked.