Since a love triangle is when two people are in love with the same person, this drama has a love quadrangle because four guys are attracted to MaEum.

The three guys are:

Shin Dae Ryuk, her artist
Daniel Choi’s character (DCC), her boss Seok JiHyung
Goo Joon Young, her coworker

To be honest, it’s been hard for me to “ship” her with any of them with much fervor and zeal because each one would’ve made a compelling endgame in they were in a story of their own.

1. Take for instance, Shin Dae Ryuk.

We’ve seen so many female leads fall in love with wounded heroes like him.

There’s that down-and-out alcoholic thug in “My Liberation Notes,” the traumatized boss in “What’s Wrong in Secretary Kim?” the devil himself in “Love Between Fairy & Devil,” the traumatized boss in “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?” and the cursed prince in “Beauty and the Beast.”

I think a wounded hero appeals to many of us because we like to view the girl as his saving angel and love as a cure-all.

So when MaEum is with Shin, I could imagine a romance between the two had their relationship started from Episode 1. But unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your ship), Shin began the lover’s clichés rather late: in Ep 11, when they were shopping for groceries for Shin’s new apartment.

MaEum stopped saw pork hock being sold. She asked him if she should buy one to have as snack. Her face looked at him expectantly but remember now, he couldn’t read people’s expressions. He didn’t get that she really WANTED to eat pork hock.

In a deadpan tone, he reminded her, “You said you want to eat black bean noodles before.” She said, “The black bean noodles is a meal, and this is a snack.” Confused, he began to stutter, “You eat…p-pork hock…as snack…?”

MaEum: Is it a little too much? Then should I buy a medium?
Shin: Yeah, sure.
MaEum: (stopping) Oh, yeah! I have to buy detergent. Hold on a moment.

She was stopping by the detergent aisle.

Shin: Then, I’ll buy that one. (pointing at the pork hock)
MaEum: (smiling) Then I’ll let you get it.

I thought this was big milestone because a) this marks the first time Shin treated her to a meal, and b) he isn’t good with social cues. In a normal boy-girl dating situation, the boy would instantly offer to get the item that a girl had expressed a desire for. In Shin’s case, he started out questioning her need for the pork hock, but he finally got it that he should buy it simply because she liked it. He wanted to please her.

MaEum peeked from behind the shelves as he ordered her pork hock.

Shin: One medium pork hock, please.
Vendor: The large is one sale. Take the large.
Shin: No. Give me a medium.

Lol. Since MaEum said she wanted the medium size, he was strictly buying the medium.

Vendor: What kind of sauce would you like?
Shin: Sauce?

And he saw the different choices and was a bit rattled. He looked back in search of MaEum. But MaEum ducked behind the shelves.

Shin: Just give me whatever you can give me.

To me, this was the best response; he did well in navigating the social situation; and he did it for MaEum.

Later that day, they unboxed his things at his new apartment. She bought him a gift, an Indian dreamcatcher.

Shin: What’s that?
MaEum: This? It’s called a dreamcatcher. It prevents nightmares. While working on your series, I hope you get some good sleep here and there. It’s a gift I prepared for you. (grinning) Now that you moved. I hope only good things fill up this new place. Here. (hangs it on his desklamp)
Shin: (smiling at her)
MaEum: Let’s see.
Shin: So pretty. (gazing at her)
MaEum: Right? I went through a lot of trouble picking this.

I’m not Korean but he said, “ippuneyo” or “It’s pretty.” He was referring to her, of course. But since MaEum was looking at the dreamcatcher, she assumed they were talking about her gift.

His “ippuneyo” doublespeak is pretty standard fare in kdramas. We’ve seen this in “Business Proposal” when Kang Taemo observed that HaRi was pretty but Hari thought they were talking about fireworks.

As I said, this romantic interaction only happened in Episode 11. Had Shin been the male lead, scenes like these would have occurred earlier in the series to give the character more time to heal from his childhood trauma and to allow MaEum to see him as a remarkable but reliable partner.

Now, in Episode 13, he and MaEum had to adjust their relationship. After a work incident, MaEum began doubting her ability to work closely with him. She worried that she might have caused him to become more mentally unstable when she encouraged him to adapt his webstory into a drama series. She was unsure if she was the best person to work with him on their project.

So, she dropped by at his workshop to talk things over with him.

MaEum: Artist Shin, have you eaten yet?
Shin: Why aren’t you asking me about that day?
MaEum: Some wounds are tough to bring up. But when you leave it alone because it’s painful, it won’t heal. It will instead become infected.

Shin was prepared for this moment. He stood up to retrieve some papers from his desk. He handed the papers to MaEum. He drew his personal horror story.

Shin: (in a soft, shaky voice) I thought it’d be hard to explain in words.

MaEum began to look at his sketches. It showed a boy cowering in fear, then leaving home with his mom.

Shin: (explaining his sketches) My life was a continuation of bad luck.

MaEum was shocked to see the drawings. The boy in chains, tied to a chest of drawers by his mother.

Shin: My mom, who treated me like that, left me, too. And my relatives took me, so I could look after my sick grandpa. After my grandpa passed away, I was all alone.

And then MaEum saw the last pages. Shin had drawn her with her arms around him as a young boy. The young boy was saying, “Please…help me…”

Shin: (explaining) I thought this after meeting you. All the wounds and misfortunes that I went through in my childhood brought me my fortune right now. I may be a mess but please help me, so I don’t become a bigger mess. With you by my side I think I could also run away from bad luck and misfortune.

MaEum didn’t answer. Instead, she pushed his illustrations back to him. He looked wretched because he was already expecting her to reject his appeal.

MaEum: Artist Shin, I’m not a god. I’m not qualified to save anyone nor am I confident to do so. At times, I can’t even sort out my own life.
Shin: (looks down)
MaEum: (tearfully) Nevertheless I’d like to help you, Artist Shin.
Shin: (looks up at her)
MaEum: I’ll help you. With all the strength that one person could muster. I did from the start, and I’ll continue to do so. Thank you for your courage.
Shin: (crying)

My Comments: 

a. This was moving scene. I like that the actor didn’t overplay his emotions, and I like that the director’s shot selections. He alternated between showing the illustrations and the facial reactions of MaEum and Shin, as Shin recounted his traumatic childhood to her. I liked this method because it conveyed the emotional states of mind of both MaEum and Shin.

b.While MaEum was naturally shocked to learn his secret, Shin was fearful that MaEum would think him too much to deal with and cut ties with him as a result. He was clinging to her.

c. In other kdramas – I’m looking at you, “My Liberation Notes” – Shin’s desperation would’ve been enough to sway the girl to fall in love with him. But thank goodness, in this drama, MaEum knew to keep things professional. She vowed to help him succeed as his editor. It never occurred to her to view him in a romantic light. She addressed him as “Artist Shin.”

d. Personally, I’d freak out if a guy said that to my daughter. That’s too much expectation for twenty-something year old. Maybe if she was in her thirties, or she was professionally-trained in counselling or psychiatric services.

2. Next, there’s Daniel Choi’s character or DCC.

Like in real life, the boss-employee romance is common in kdramas.

In fact, my first kdrama starring Daniel Choi was “Jugglers.” He played a company director falling in love with his secretary. I also remember that his character loved to read and collect comic books. By accident, he rented the second-floor apartment of the house where his super-efficient secretary lived. That’s how their relationship began. Although he was extremely reserved and distant at work, outside the office, they learned to get along.

In Episode 12, there was a meta-reference to this boss-employee trope. Goo was lobbying his artist to change the love line in her baseball webtoon.

Artist: Oh! The love line changed a bit here. Didn’t we originally decide that she’ll end up with her sunbae?
Goo: Uhmmm…First, I did analyze both outlines. Personally, I wonder why we must have her end up with her sunbae.

Then, he imagined himself as pitcher and MaEum as batter.

Goo: I think ending up with the fellow player whom she’s growing up with would have more romantic comedy fun in it, no?

He’s obviously drawing parallels between the webtoon characters, and him, MaEum, and DCC.

Artist: Even so, the popular sentiment usually falls on a sunbae with eyeglasses like the one we have. I think it’d be better for her to connect with the sunbae.

Her story abruptly ended Goo’s fantasy line-up. In the artist’s fantasy, DCC appeared as the batting coach. DCC fixed MaEum’s batting swing, and she hit a homerun as a result. They cheered enthusiastically, leaving Goo the pitcher to sulk.

Goo: (grumbling) That kind of relationship isn’t too appealing. It’s not like they’re a coach and a player.
Artist: Come on. Certainly, these sunbaes have a reassuring calm. Once they get under your skin, it’s game over.
Goo: (crestfallen)
Artist: Well, of course, the story needs to be fixed to make it more fun. I’m just saying that’s the reality.
Goo: (grins stiffly and pointing to her subway) Please help yourself.

Then, he chomped on his subway. He was stress-eating.

If I was shipping DCC with MaEum, then I’d take this dialogue as a hint from the screenwriters that DCC was the endgame. However, I’m not shipping them because DCC is not convincing as a male lead. It frustrates me that for every timid move he made towards her, he took a giant step back afterwards. I’m a firm believer that a faint heart never won fair lady. In my opinion, he lacks resolution, conviction, passion, fervor or, to borrow a word from “Alchemy of Souls,” giseya.

Take for instance his supposed romantic encounter with MaEum in this episode.

He saw Goo staring at MaEum from afar, then walking away. Since MaEum and Goo were usually joined at the hips, he would’ve known that something was wrong between the two. He approached MaEum then.

DCC: You’ll make the ground sink from sighing.

He saw her teary eyes. He didn’t know that MaEum was feeling down for two reasons: her misgivings about Artist Shin’s work, and her misunderstanding with Goo. DCC only assumed that she was sad because she and Goo had a fight.

DCC: Something’s not working out?

MaEum nodded and started tearing up. Now, if this was a normal romcom, MaEum’s tears would’ve been a good sign. She only ever showed this weak, emotional side to DCC. To Artist Shin, she was tower of strength. And to Goo, she presented her happy side. In kdramas, the willingness to show one’s vulnerability is an indication of love.

DCC: Why? What is it?
MaEum: Everything…everything’s just a big mess.

Then he bent down to tie her shoelace.

MaEum: Oh. It’s okay.
DCC: Stay still.
MaEum: But weren’t we running together? Why are you trying to run alone as if you have the weight of the whole world on you?

He finished tying her shoelace.

Sigh. This trope should’ve been a heart-fluttering moment, but it left me cold. Why? For one, Daniel Choi looked like an ahjussi, instead of a boyfriend.

For another, SOMEBODY already did it better…no…BEST. Check this out:

source: dramaism’s tumblrsource: kalena-henden’s tumblr

It’s Taemoo, of course! One of this blogs’ Best Boyfriends awardees.

MaEum: I’m not sure anymore if Artist Shin Dae Ryuk and I could run together well.
DCC: When you met Artist Shin for the first time, you believed in him, knowing that he would not be easy to work with. So, why do you think that all of a sudden?

Just look at the way he was peering through his glasses. The camera angle is so unflattering to him.

With his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose like that, he looked like a grandpa. See this? Ewww.

source: dreamstime

MaEum: I’m scared. Before Artist Shin met me, he seemed just like an awkward person. But…
DCC: But now?

Then, she told him that Artist Shin looked more unstable and wondered if she caused it by pushing him to grow as a cartoonist. Before DCC could counsel some more MaEum was called away to Artist Na’s workshop.

My takeaway from this scene is that he’d already decided that MaEum was going to a junior member of the staff, and nothing more. He’d drawn the line and resigned himself to being her mentor despite his secret fascination for her.

Of course, Goo didn’t know that when he spotted DCC and MaEum accidentally getting too close to each other.

Then, they moved away.

And he tried to cover up their embarrassment with a joke. If I was shipping them then, I’d say this looks suspicious because they were over-reacting. MaEum even hugged Goo to save him from a motorcycle, and she wasn’t embarrassed.

He looked glum.

Just like he looked glum when MaEum cried during DCC’s false-resignation party.

source: orbitofyours’ tumblr

Goo would have to be in bubblewrap not to pick up their vibes.

He must have been surprised when DCC spoke to him in the break room. I think though DCC was just concerned about MaEum’s unhappiness so he wanted Goo to come clean.

DCC: I think you should stop. MaEum must’ve caught on, right?
Goo: (silent)

When DCC spotted Goo walking away, he deduced that he and MaEum quarreled over Goo’s meeting with Director Heo. DCC assumed that Goo was reluctant to tell MaEum about his interactions, just as he’d been silent about his reason for persisting in getting evidence against Director Heo.

Goo didn’t want to explain his motives to either MaEum or DCC until he was ready. But DCC reminded him of timing.

DCC: There is also good timing for conveying the truth.
Goo: (looks at him)
DCC: I think now is that time.

He walked off to the elevator. While waiting for it, he pondered over why Goo was going to great lengths to catch Director Heo.

Deep inside, he knew why.

Goo was doing it because of MaEum, the same MaEum who amused DCC when she cried that she wanted to be like him,

who got excited about managing Artist Na, who discovered Artist Shin, who believed in making her own luck, not flipping coins, who cried at his fake-farewell party, and who gave her all in everything she did.

Personally, I thought DCC wimped out here. She was waiting for him to say something but he fled.

Oh well. Nice shot, though.

If DCC was moved by MaEum’s charm to go out of his way, then it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Goo was going out of his way to save the team for MaEum.

While he was lost in thoughts, MaEum appeared beside him.

MaEum: Are you going somewhere?
DCC: Yes. To an offsite meeting.
MaEum: (bowing) See you later then.

She continued on her way. Lol. He should have taken his own advice and paid attention to his timing, too.

To me, this moment captures the essence of their relationship. She arrived in front on him; he passed up the chance; she walked on. Typically, in kdramas, guys like him who don’t grab hold of the opportunity, don’t get a second chance, and remain second leads.

3. Goo

It stopped raining. I’ll write about him tonight, and tend to my garden now. The fall mums are coming!