What do you do when a close friend suddenly asks for your hand in marriage?
‘How To Get Low Income’ follows the story of two friends, Soo-jin (played by Hwang Seung-hyun) and Jung-hyeok (played by Yoon Sang-hyeok). Soo-jin and Jung-hyeok are hanging out in silence at what seems to be a cafe slash library. Jung-hyeok is busy munching on his snack when Soo-jin breaks the silence and suddenly asks him to marry her. Jung-hyeok is gobsmacked and drops his food.
Days later, when he is out drinking with his friend Hee-sung (played by Park Hyo-won), Jung-hyeok recounts what happened with Soo-jin. Jung-hyeok tells his buddy that it was three days ago when Soo-jin proposed to him. Hee-sung asks if she’s in love with Jung-hyeok which he denies. Hee-sung asks if it is Jung-hyeok who is in love with her which he vehemently denies, even going so far as saying he’s making him lose his appetite. Jung-hyeok claims that he is not Soo-jin’s type, besides, he already likes someone else. (Insert googly eyes from this writer.) Hee-sung insists that you can’t really know for sure because why else would Soo-jin ask for marriage if she doesn’t like him like that? Jung-hyeok recalls the moment.
Back at the library, Soo-jin confessed to him that she needed it for the national scholarship. Jung-hyeok asked what it was for and Soo-jin answered that if they were to get married, their resident registration certificate would be separated which meant their household would get changed as well. However, they both don’t have a lot of savings, so their income fraction would be measured low thus increasing their scholarship. Basically, she’s asking to marry so they can change their income bracket which would afford them a higher scholarship.
Jung-hyeok remarked that she had enough money to get through college so what changed? Soo-jin said that things just happened that way so she might suffer for the next semester. Soo-jin looked pensively at the window.
Back to the present, Hee-sung confidently claims that Soo-jin is totally into Jung-hyeok. Hee-sung says that her reasoning is weak so Soo-jin definitely has feelings for Jung-hyeok because even if it’s for money, would someone talk so lightheartedly about marriage like that? Jung-hyeok remarks that she’s just complicated. Besides, people will confess if they like someone and not use scholarship as an excuse for marriage. Hee-sung nods but looks entirely unconvinced. He comments that Jung-hyeok must know Soo-jin so well so why didn’t he go out with her? Jung-hyeok answers that she doesn’t like him and vice versa. Hee-sung asks if he’s just playing with her which Jung-hyeok denies since he likes someone else. Hee-sung opines that Soo-jin must be weird if her reason is truly the scholarship. Jung-hyeok asks for a change of topic. Hee-sung fiddles with his phone as Jung-hyeok recalls what happened next in his conversation with Soo-jin.
At the library, Soo-jin told Jung-hyeok that they could divorce after graduating since they wouldn’t need a registration for marriage in Korea. Jung-hyeok asked what was in it for him and Soo-jin answered that he could apply for a newlywed house and probably more if he searched for it. Soo-jin packed up her things and moved to leave for a job interview. But before leaving, Soo-jin asked him to reconsider her strange request and that she would pay him back in the end.
