‘At a Distance, Spring Is Green’ Bromance Embraces Rom-Com Cliches

“You’re the first person to treat me like this!”

Won’t this be the one sentence that describes what Yeo Joon (Park Ji Hoon) feels about Nam Soo Hyun (Bae In Hyuk) in KBS’s At a Distance, Spring Is Green? If you elongate this cheesy sentence, it’ll be, “You are the first person who doesn’t like me and is feisty, and that bothers me.” �This is the cliche that first appeared in the novel Pride and Prejudice.

This famous line has been transformed multiple times through various romance cartoons and rom-com series. And in 2021, this sentence became a definition of two men’s relationships in a teen series. Once again, it’s not a man and a woman, but two men.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cKqHTxzF9s 

Yeo Joon is the second son of Mijin Foods and a freshman at Myongil University who majors in business administration. Nobody can refuse him, who is wealthy, handsome, and has a good personality. But the truth is Yeo Joon always strives for love because his family emotionally abuses him. Because of that, he can’t push away those who became his friends for his money and looks. Naturally, he hid his dark thoughts and put a smile on his face.

But Nam Soo Hyun is the type of person who hates owing people, even if it’s for a beverage. That’s why he refused all of Yeo Joon’s suggestions, including the money for laundry and the offers to treat him to a meal. To Yeo Joon, surrounded by people ready to take advantage of him, Nam Soo Hyun came as an intriguing person.

Even the fact that Nam Soo Hyun pushed away people and became cynical because of his financial problem was new to Yeo Joon. That’s mainly because Yeo Joon despised everyone even when he fixated on being loved and voluntarily became a weaker one in relationships. Nam Soo Hyun was the first person who saw right through Yeo Joon’s true face. He also advised Yeo Joon to take off his mask and be true to himself. And Yeo Joon has never heard such words from anyone, not even his family, who showed no affection, let alone unconditional love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8byyTz0630g 

These two men’s bromance has all the rom-com cliches. Nam Soo Hyun secretly takes care of Yeo Joon, who clings to him nonstop, all the while cold-heartedly pushes him away. And because of Nam Soo Hyun’s brother, who now owes Yeo Joon money, the two have no other choice but to keep facing each other. Naturally, Yeo Joon is attracted to Nam Soo Hyun, the only person who treats him differently.

In episode 4, Nam Soo Hyun told Yeo Joon to stay away from him. But in response, Yeo Joon said, “No. I’ll do what I’m good at. Being clingy. So you try to push me away. Let’s each do what we’re good at.” In a way, they look like a clingy male lead and a cold but warm female lead. How will their relationship change in the remaining episodes?

 

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