Male lead and female lead are good friends. He tries to work up the courage to confess to her, but then she tells him that she likes someone else not knowing he's gonna confess. Then he begins to distances himself from her. She either dates the other guy or gets rejected, but then she finds out the male lead likes her and realizes her feelings for him.

This is pretty much the scenario in these dramas with slight variations if I'm remembering right.

An Oriental Odyssey

I Need Romance 3 

Reply 1997

In Time With You (TW-drama): ML and FL are best friends, but he's been in love with her since forever

Reply 1997: ML chases FL first

  • +1 I Need Romance 3
  • +1 In Time With You
  • The Imperial Doctress
  • Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
  • Sound of the Desert

I wouldn't say the MLs in these dramas distance themselves from the FL. In most cases the ML works hard to stay close to the FL.