Did I ever give a rom-com a 10? Ah, I'd have to go through my list to find out...
I've watched a bunch of rom-coms lately. I remember that I enjoyed Her Private Life and Touch Your Heart a lot but neither of them got a 10 from me. There was always something lacking which made me not want to give them the highest score.

But this one surprised me in any way possible. I enjoyed this so much that I run through the episodes in no time. I'm quite sad that it's already over. I could watch 10 hours and more and wouldn't get bored with these characters. And I'm not only talking about the leads. Everyone in this was great. Every character had some kind of purpose and never felt expandable.

I loved the romance and how it progressed. I appreciate that the story took its time until the leads finally got together. I'm also grateful that I didn't get 4 last episodes full of happily ever after. The writer(s) balanced the time for telling the story just right. Nothing felt rushed or too short. And the end was wrapped up nicely.

There was no irritating love triangle which made me love the second leads even more. I would have hated it, had they turned it into something else, because the way everything developed was what gave the story the extra juice. Not that the leads didn't already deliver fantastically themselves. Those two had such a unique way of connecting that their encounters never felt boring. Do Min Ik (btw, Dominik? Anyone?) was your usual conglomerate boss but at the same time he was as dorky as his secretary which made them just the perfect combo. The more you got to know him, the more you fell for him, not just his secretary. He earned my respect when he realized that he loved his secretary and didn't deny it while completely ignoring the difference in their social status.

Funny thing, I ever liked the fake Veronica Park. Maybe because it was fake, maybe because I knew nothing good would come from that one, maybe because I never felt the spark during those ~dates. I never even liked the glamorous styling. Whereas the real Veronica Park was an eye-catcher. Her behavior, her styling, her whole appearance. As exaggerated as she might have been, the actress owned the role and made her character one of the most memorable ones in this drama.

Coming along with that, I was so, so glad that Gal Hee kept her dorky style till the end. I'm thankful that they kept her curly hair, her glasses, just everything. Usually at some point the lead changes her style and keeps it that way, but it wouldn't have been the same if they did that with secretary Jeong, too. She was perfect the way she first appeared in the story and stayed that way till the end.

The side characters, ohh, the other secretaries! Their humor was just right. I can't remember many funny scenes, but the few that took place, where hilarious but never too over the top. In the beginning I thought they would become some stereotype evil co-workers but they turned out to be really lovely colleagues.

There are so many people to mention. Veronica Park's mother. Gosh, she looked like some hippie mom that never got over the 70's, mixed with the attitude of a rich Korean mother.

Gal Hee's siblings. Her sister was bold and cheeky, and the way she ended up with the flamingo of the story, was something I didn't know I needed to see. Her blind brother was another interesting character, who brimmed over with confidence despite his disability and due to that had some funny scenes himself. It also showed that you can walk such a road and still not being disrespectful towards those who really suffer from blindness.

Do Min Ik's doctor was another noteworthy guy. He looked like your usual quack but got himself some funny treats that made him edgier and not just some medic. Which reminds me... The problem Do Min Ik has... As someone who is working in the medical field, I got extra curious. The way it was described in the drama it sounded as if one part of his brain wasn't provided with blood anymore. Which actually means that brain cells die. And we all know that brain cells don't regenerate. But then the drama mentioned improving the blood flow in that region and making it work again. Well, I have my doubts here, as logical as it might sound. Then again, miracles can happen. And this is a k-drama, so miracles are highly likely.

What I didn't expect was the darker storyline in between. Surprised me quite good and got me hooked with the sudden seriousness. It added it nice small mystery to the plot (and of course was the kick that got the ball running in the first place). It didn't overshadow the romance part, it kept to the sidelines in the middle but it was never forgotten, there was always a glimpse of it in between, which was totally fine with me, and got more attention at the end again. And if you might have thought you already figured it out in the early episodes, the final answer would still surprise you. The hints they dropped here and there misled more than once.

So, overall, the romance started off innocently, developed seriously and ended maturely. The story also gained some extra points with some new treats which I haven't seen like that before. A highly enjoyable drama that convinced me in any way possible.

P.S. Yes, I loved every character. Except one: Do Min Ik's stepmother.