K-Drama's Sweetest Side Romance

Usually, the main couple in dramas tends to steal the lights and garner all the attention. We become their loyal “shippers” and celebrate every teeny tiny step they make on their way to “happily ever after”. However, sometimes we come across some commanding side romances. Although they're only secondary love stories, they warm our hearts and dazzle us with their charm, sweetness, and utter cuteness. 

He adorably tags along with the male-lead (Oh So), calling him Hyung, and faithfully guarding his side while nursing his own one-sided crush on Hee Sun.

She’s the younger sister of the male lead’s (Oh Soo’s) deceased lover. Basically, the male lead treats her as his younger sister while she nurses her own one-sided crush on him. Of course, she bumps with Jin Sung all the time and they team together to guard the drama’s male lead on his journey to hell.

At some point, while they’re plotting genius plans to save Oh Soo’s ass or secretly spying on his biggest foes, they fall in love as sweet as you want them to.

This couple is like a breath of fresh air on a stuffy day. Not only do they light up the drama’s melancholic mood, but they also manage to add a bright youthful vibe to the sheer tragedy that is that drama by virtue of the actors' youth and freshness. I personally cared about their own love line and their cute smooches more than those of the main couple and their melodramatic relationship. 

He's a diligent cartoonist by day and a hardworking designated driver by night. Dong Hoon would juggle any number of part-time jobs to provide for his mother and sisters and earn enough to support his dreams of sketching the perfect web-toons. Most importantly, Mr. Hard Worker plays it totally cool and keeps all of his night shifts a secret from his roommate under the pretext that he’s a womanizer who enjoys the wild nightlife of clubbing.

She's a girl who vowed never to sleep more than four hours a day in order to have enough time to succeed because she’s neither pretty nor rich. As a result, the willingly sleep-deprived web-toon director is always sporting black circles under her baggy eyes and she’s always SHOUTING angrily at whoever pisses her off.

At some point, those two exhausted workers come to realize that they’re practically in the same boat. Their destinies get tangled in some unfortunate event that teaches them to trust and support each other. Shouty manager adorably realizes that to lure a guy you have to lower your voice, or more accurately, sweetly whisper so that he’ll have to physically approach you. She also learns that scented shampoo does wonders. On the other hand, Dong Hoon discovers that dark circles have their charm.

Basically, those two are a match made in heaven. They added a welcomed sense of comedy and cuteness to go along the piles of the cute FBND had to offer. I certainly wanted to see more of them. 

He's quite the “Casanova”. A spoiled rich heir who can get any girl he wants. Deep down, Yi Jung is profoundly hurt by his own father’s promiscuity and unfaithfulness to his mother. He believes that he can change his partner in love just like he changes his socks.

She's a helplessly romantic girly girl who truly believes that every person should meet his/her one true soul mate and love him/her for all eternity.     

At some point, they meet. Their concepts of love collide and both their understanding of it changes; thus, their own story blossoms.

I think this couple is pretty famous in its own right, and their story is fairly known. In the hot frenzy of BOF’s plot, Yi Jung and Ga Eul’s side romance was like the icing on the cake. 

*They are called “Milky couple” by Korean netizens because combining the first syllables of their names literally translates into milk in Korean. I personally like to call them the 'ice cream' couple because watching their interaction was like indulging with your most favorite vanilla strawberry ice cream ;)

He used to live in the U.S.A. and came back to Korea to enroll in the prestigious Kirin Art High School.

She’s a self-conscious talented young lady who wants to become a singer. For her audition to Kirin Art High School, she dressed as SUSHI, covering her whole face to hide the fact that she’s overweight. She was shy and awkward. 

At some point--actually--it’s not really at some point. It’s in the audition, right from the start, he adorably calls her ‘Ms. Sushi’. Unlike everyone else, he doesn’t freak out when he finds out that’s she’s chubby, and he doesn’t treat her like an alien--the way everyone else does. They do stuff together and I see rainbows, unicorns and clouds that rain candies whenever the camera captures them both on my screen. 

In a few words, they are a joy to look at, and for me, they were way more interesting than the main couple (sorry Samdong! You know I love you, babe).       

He's a dedicated bodyguard who will diligently fulfill his orders to protect royalty. Poor Shi Kyung is always called dull and frustrating by the spoiled prince and princess because he’s too earnest. He takes every single word to the heart and literally obeys. Mr. Soldier doesn’t know how to read in between the lines, so he interprets even jokes literally and misses the laugh. Don’t let him deceive you! Shi Kyung is no robot. In fact, he’s a sensitive spirit that’s too self-conscious to let his guards down and be his natural self.

She's a spoiled free-spirited princess who likes to rock n roll. Of course, our little princess is way too stubborn to listen to what she's told. She likes to do things her way and bosses everyone around. 

At some point, earnest Shi Kyung gets appointed to guard the princess. He gets struck by the life-loving free spirit as she messes up his plans of protecting her as she sings through the night. Of course, the princess becomes furious when dutiful Shi Kyung has to bring her party to an end and an electric current goes through both their bodies when they stare into each others' eyes.  Thank God, Princess is neither blind nor stupid, and it doesn’t take her long to figure that her stiff bodyguard is not a robot. But she sure as hell enjoys teasing this earnest robot with a heart of gold. 

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Honorary Mention:

Oska (Yoon Sang Hyun) and Seul (Kim Sa Rang) from Secret Garden

 King (Ryu Deok Hwan) and Queen (Park Se Young) from Faith

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