Romance is a Bonus Book - ❤︎

 

Romance is a Bonus Book --- 

YESSSSSSSSS

This drama is great. It very slice-of-life, and it really touches your heart. 

It's about these two people, Kang Dan-Yi (Lee Na-Young) and Cha Eun-Ho (Lee Jong-Suk). They met as children, when she saves him from being run over by a car. They become friends, even though he's about 5 years her junior. They grow up and remain pretty close even when she gets married. She has a kid and 12 years later gets a divorce since her husband cheated on her. She had quick her highly respected career to raise her daughter, and it's almost impossible for her to get back into the highly competitive job market. She effectively homeless. Just having a really shitty time. 

Cha Eun-Ho is pretty much at the top of his game. He has grown into a respected author, professor, and editor of a small but successful book publishing company. He has dated some people over the years, but has never taken any of them seriously. Dan-Yi works at several part-time jobs, and one of them is doing housework for Eun-Ho, although he doesn't know it's her. He thinks she's hired some weird woman who showers at his place and eats his food when he's at work. She camps out at his place (better than sleeping on the streets) and one day he busts her. He's a little freaked out, but he loves his Noona, so he lets her stay with him until she can get back on her feet. He's upset with himself for not knowing what a hard time she had been having. He didn't even know that she had been divorced. She doesn't let it get her too down, though. She's an optimistic person, despite all her hardships. 

Dan-Yi gets a menial job at his company as a temp after lying on her resumé that she only had a high school diploma. Eun-Ho pretends not to know her at work and she settles in. She finds that she loves her new job, but she is always wanting to step above and beyond the tasks expected of her, which bristles some feathers in the office. 

Over time, Eun-Ho begins to let it leak out just how deeply, madly, truly he is in love with his Noona, although he tries to keep it under the radar. She makes it abundantly clear that she thinks of him as a little brother. Period. She also is a little interested in this younger guy in the neighborhood, Ji Seo-Jun (Wi Ha-Joon). He is very interested in her. They hit a speedbump when he asks her out and she tells him she is a 37 year old divorcee with a daughter. But he lets that sink in and decides that he still wants to persue her, much to Eun-Ho's dismay.

Eventually, Eun-Ho's dam breaks and he confesses that he is sooooo in love with Dan-Yi only to have her scoff and avoid him for a little while. She is very confused about why she is getting confused. He doesn't force his feelings on her, and he even supports her dating Seo-Jun, although he isn't happy about it. The most important thing to him is that she is happy. He just lays his cards on the table and waits until she loves him back. Which she totally does. It takes her some adjustment to realize that she does see him as a man (and a very handsome, sweet, kind, caring one at that). He knows that he is an excellent catch and does his best to show her as well. She gets more comfortable with the idea of dating him once the shock wears off and they proceed to have such a good relationship. They support each other while letting the other have their independence. They know that they are each others' homes and they always have run to each other. Her badass persona she had before she became a mom comes back out more and he has some of the sweetest moments of vulnerability around her. To everyone else he seems cold and aloof, but only his Noona makes him feel uncertain and cautious. They take their relationship at a slow pace, despite all their years spent together as friends, because neither of them wants to ruin what they have. That slow burn is torture but so fun to watch. 

The characters are well-developed and you really feel for Dan-Yi's struggles. You just want her to succeed and you are deeply pained at all of her setbacks. Cha Eun-Ho has his own secret struggles and baggage that he carries, but he is able to cope with that with Dan-Yi's love and support. They balance each other perfectly and they actors had such a natural feeling chemistry that you would believe they had known each other forever. 

There is so much more happening with Seo-Jun and all the wacky cast of characters at the publishing company (omg I love them all), but I think this post has gotten long enough. Just watch it.