K-Drama Rewind, Romance Is a Bonus Book: Lee Jong-suk’s gentle love story is birthday cake for the soul

When it comes to Lee Jong-suk’s brand of K-dramas, you usually know what you’re signing up for — intense, angsty revenge plots with romance that burns just as fiercely. And then, in the middle of this storm, comes the soft, Romance Is a Bonus Book. Here, Jong-suk abandons the avenger persona and instead plays Cha Eun-ho, a warm yet reserved editor at a publishing company who has never quite gotten over his childhood friend, Kang Dan-i (Lee Na-young).

The beginning scene itself draws you in: Jong-suk as Eun-ho playing a piano, waiting for Kang Dan-I get married to someone else. But she’s not there; her groom is fuming and Eun-ho has to go and look for her. He finds her of course; she’s hiding out in his car.  She clearly has no intention of getting married: She is teary and conflicted, and Eun-ho just sits with her quietly. Does she want to go back? Or does she want to go somewhere else? Before they make any decision, they just run into the silence---in a silence that’s actually oddly comforting to watch. It’s not romance. It’s just two friends looking for snatches of peace.

Later, Dan-i wonders how life would have turned out if Eun-ho had just driven off with her that night. Instead, she marries, divorces, and years later finds herself back at square one, unemployed and underestimated for having been out of the workforce raising her child. Swallowing her pride, she takes an entry-level job at Eun-ho’s publishing house and moves in with him.

At its heart, Romance is a Bonus Book is a straightforward romance of two childhood friends realising their love for each other. But, it’s the little things about this show that set it apart from the clutter of romance and mush: The setting of a book-publishing company is so realistic and atmospheric that you feel the rush and excitement that goes into editing and publishing books. The show demonstrates the painstaking efforts of manuscripts, the lives of dealing with marketing, sales, without ever being laconic and dreary. And in the midst of all these upheavals,  the romance quietly blooming is enjoyable to watch.  If you want a little spice and drama, there's Wi Ha-Joon, who could complicate a love triangle, but instead, his role has a little something else for the story. There are no villains here; there are people who just love what they do.

Even the love confessions seem straightforward: It’s just two friends just telling each other how proud they are of each other. As much as we would all love the drama, the rain, the sudden bursts during arguments, a quiet admission is also equally welcome.

 Jong-suk is a joy to watch here: For those who have primarily known him for the stories of Pinocchio, W Two Worlds, Dr Stranger, and are used to blaring, raging background music behind him, it’s almost calming to see him in a soft romance, being cheeky to the woman he loves, and his icy demeanor cracking. There is no off-tune melodrama here in this show; plotlines wrap up quickly and are dealt with realistically, rather than being prolonged or dramatised.

If you’re in the mood for a drama that feels like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day — no villains, no exaggerated chaos, just gentle growth and love — Romance Is a Bonus Book is your perfect binge.