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     Shin-Ae Yoo 

Shin-Ae Yoo

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/i_love_yoo_update_5.PNG

The main character of the story. She belongs to a financially struggling family and has little trust left in humanity after a series of misfortunes in her past. Having been abandoned several times before, Shin-Ae is unwilling to let new people into her life yet is still fiercely loyal to the few friends she has. After accidentally hitting a red-headed stranger with a glass of orange juice, she becomes entangled in the drama of the Hirahara family and her mundane life is completely overturned.


  • A-Cup Angst: Mrs. Hirahara gives Shin-Ae a dress she claims she bought for herself and would never wear. When Shin-Ae tries it on, she finds she doesn't quite fill it out properly.
Shin-Ae: I don't have enough boob for this dress! I bet her single boob would still be bigger than both mine combined!
Mrs. Hirahara: ''[Talking to Shin-Ae at the dining table] So the issue you have with the dress...It must be the cup size then? You can’t be an A can you? Or AA? Or worse AAA?
  • Attractive Bent-Gender: The genderbent version of Shin-Ae in the extra "What If" chapter is very handsome.
  • Berserk Button: Talking smack about her friends.
  • Big Eater: She is very enthusiastic about eating lots of food.
  • Big "OMG!": When Yeong-Gi starts to hold up the line with his questions about why she is working at the mcdonalds Shin-Ae loses her nerve telling him to hurry up and order.
  • Big "WHAT?!": Happens when Ms. Hirahara reveals that she isn’t actually wearing a dress but Kousuke’s dress shirt.
  • Blind Date: Inverted. Yeong-Gi already knows Shin-Ae but Maya sets them up on a blind date to get them to meet again.
  • Book Dumb: Subverted. Although Shin-Ae receives a 68% on a science exam, she is not inept when it comes to academics, and is even asked by Soushi and Dieter to be their math tutor.
  • Calling Your Bathroom Breaks: Justified and Played for laughs. A bunch of girls were blocking Dieter's seat so Shin-Ae mad a big display of announcing she needs to go to the bathroom to get them to leave.
Shin-Ae:Aww shit. My stomach! It’s hurting like heck! I’m so gassy right now! I knew those leftovers smelled fishy this morning! I don't think I can hold it anymore. I-it isn't strong enough...My ass is going to explode!
  • Caught the Heart on His Sleeve: When forced to go to Mr. Kim's formal party Shin-Ae bumps into Yeong-Gi and grabs the sleeve of his coat when he tries to get food telling him to take her with him as she is comfortable with him since he is the only one she knows at the party.
  • Character Development: Goes from a closed-off, mistrusting girl who pushes away people before they can hurt her to someone actively fighting to keep people in her life including Nol, whose ghosting of her mirrors Alyssa's abandoning of her in middle school, the very event that kickstarted her trust issues in the first place.
  • Cheshire Cat Grin: She sports this one as she hears Yeong-gi prank calling Maya and Rika.
  • Cry into Chest: Zig-Zagged. When Yeong-Gi turns around so that Shin-Ae can cry without him looking she grabs his jacket and leans her head on his back instead.
  • The Cynic: Due to her past Shin-Ae believes that humans inherently suck. Later played with. It's revealed that this attitude is a defense mechanism to protect herself from being hurt by the world again, and that her childhood self was a cheery girl who had faith in things working out despite the hardship she faced. Ultimately, through becoming friends with Yeong-Gi, this worldview is overturned and Shin-Ae begins to open herself up to others more.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: Shin-Ae has led a very misfortunate life. Her mother abandoned her when she was little and took her sister with her, leaving only her and her father. She was ostracized by the kids at school due to her family situation and frequently bullied, but still kept a smile on her face as to not be a burden on her father, who was already financially struggling to make ends meet. She reaches her breaking point when her first friend betrays her, leading her to lose faith in humanity and adopt the belief that humans are inherently bad-natured.
  • Deadpan Snarker: One of her main personality traits is her unrelenting sarcasm.
  • Deconstructed Character Archetype:
    • In some ways Shin-Ae is of the stereotypical K-Drama protagonist. She might not be rich or popular but she's beautiful and smart and quickly catches the attention of the rival sons of a wealthy family, and the family matriarch takes a shine to her and wants her to marry the family heir, Kousuke. Having an attractive older man as your boss who is also interested in you is a common K-Drama trope. However, Shin-Ae wants nothing to do with the family's drama, only wants enough money to ensure she and her dad can live comfortably. Nol, who has many traits of the bad boy Veronica of the love triangle who often loses the leading lady, is the one who respects Shin-Ae and gets along with her, so she naturally gravitates towards him.
    • Also of the Not Like Other Girls trope. Shin-Ae is vocally a tomgirl and doesn't take much interest in make-up or boys. However, it's later revealed that this was not of her own volition and that her inexperience in girly interests is largely circumstantial: she had no female figures in her life growing up and tight finances meant she had very little money or time to experiment with makeup and the like. She also doesn't look down on others with more girly interests and it is implied that it is her fear of being ridiculed for it, not her dislike of it that stops her from pursuing more feminine interests.
  • Death Glare: Downplayed when she does this to Dieter's friend who trashed talked her and her friends.
  • Demoted to Extra: She was demoted to Dieter's main love interest in the 2017 Special "If I Love Yoo was a sport comic".
  • Exhausted Eye Bags: As the stress of dealing with her father, who ends up in the hospital, and their bills gets worse she finds herself being worn out and gets these.
  • Eating Contest: Shin-Ae used to have hamburger eating contests with her dad.
  • Face Doodling: When Yeong-Gi doodles on Shin-Ae's face she does the same to him when it turns out that he didn't do it for her “disguise” but as payback for her calling him a stalker.
  • Face of a Thug: Played for laughs. When describing Shin-Ae to the bartender Rika notes that Shin-Ae often looks like she wants to murder someone.
  • Falling into His Arms: Shin-Ae overexerts herself playing against Soushi and Yeon-Gi in a dancing arcade game and ends up fainting right into Yeong-Gi's arms.
  • Female Gaze: When she sees Alyssa after a long time she can't help but notice her chest.
  • Finger Gun: Min-hyuk and Shin-Ae do this to each other when they greet each other via video call.
  • First-Name Basis: After giving Kousuke a present for his birthday he tells her to call him by his first name.
  • Flipping the Bird: Does this to Kousuke after she is freed from her restraints. Kousuke is not amused.
  • Food Slap: Downplayed. Does this to Maya and Rika with a few pieces of potato chips after Rika talks about Shin-Ae small breast size and when Rika jokingly suggests that she, Shin-Ae, could become a housewife.
    • Played Straight when Shin-Ae tries to do this Dieter's friend when he trash talks her and her friends. Unfortunately, the cup of juice hits Yeong-Gi instead.
    • She also does this to Kousuke during their first meeting with a steak after he trips her and calls her a fatass.
    • Shin-Ae is subjected to this by a mother who got angry after Shin-Ae defended Soyi for the mother’s child's behaviour.
  • Forceful Kiss: Thankfully averted. Sang-Chul tries to kiss a drugged Shin-Ae but he is punched in the groin instead.
  • Funny Background Event: As Shin-Ae is ordering donuts at “Outdoor Cafe” Yeon-Gi is seen with Soushi and Dieter in the back looking like he is about to throw-up.
    • Happens again on the blind date when Shin-Ae is about to leave and Yeong-Gi stops her. Rika is seen in back looking shocked to the point of covering her mouth.
    • Invoked by Yeong-Gi at Mr. Kim's formal to get Shin-Ae to smile and loosen up while dancing with Kousuke. It works.
  • Gold Digger: Conversed but averted. Rika and Maya suggests that Shin-Ae find a rich man to settle with to which Shin-Ae is strongly against. She's later accused of Sang-Chul of this being her motive behind her relationship with the brothers.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: Downplayed, but Shin-Ae definitely shows jealous tendencies. When Dieter is picked up by his sister after their date at the amusement park, Shin-Ae is visibly jealous. Later, her pointed jealousy upon seeing Nol watching Alyssa on TV is one of the clearest signs that she's developed romantic feelings for him.
  • Groin Attack: Delivers a painful one to Sang-Chul when he tries to kiss her.
  • Growling Gut: When playing a dancing game with Yeong-Gi her stomach starts to growl.
  • Hand Rubbing: Does this gleefully when Yeong-Gi suggest that they pull a prank on Maya and Rika.
Shin-ae: Finally, I get to have some fun.
  • Handshake Refusal: When Yeong-Gi offers a handshake to make their prankster partnership official Shin-Ae opts instead to clap his hand and then goes for a high five.
  • Hates Wearing Dresses: "Pants forever," according to her.
  • Her Boy Friends Jacket: Played for laughs. In the “What Ifs” chapter she is shown wearing Dieter's jacket…at the same time he is wearing it.
  • Holding Hands: Kousuke holds her hand after she talks about her family troubles. Similarly, Dieter holds her hand during their date at the amusement park. She later holds Yeong-Gi's hand in an attempt to comfort him after he down-talks himself, and references how others have made her feel better by doing so the past.
  • I Can't Dance: She claims that she isn't any good at dancing. This isn't a fib, as she steps on Nol's toes multiple times when she dances with him at the hospital.
  • I Have Just One Thing to Say: Inverted. In trying to get Yeong-Gi to leave her alone at the party, she says she doesn't care how important or insignificant he might be because he's a human being first...and humans kind of suck. Had this been any other person, they likely would have been put off, but because it's Yeong-Gi, it likely only made him take a shine to her.
  • Informed Poverty: Inverted. Shin-Ae doesn't seem any different from her friends at first, and when she shows up at a Masquerade Ball with a borrowed dress and an ugly home-made mask, the obvious conclusion is that she's a tomboy, who doesn't care about her looks. A lot of Shin-Ae's actions takes on a new light once you realize she's so poor, she relies on her friends for meals, which her friends doesn't seem to realize. Not to mention that she and her father are at risk of eviction.
  • Intertwined Fingers: One of the authors illustrations depicts her and Yeong-Gi doing this.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Though she can come off as a rude, sarcastic loner, it's revealed she has a soft spot for children and will go to great lengths for her friends.
  • Just Smile and Nod: The attitude she is supposed to take when serving customers at Wac-Donalds. Unfortunately, she finds it extremely hard to keep it up as the customers and Yeong-Gi wear her patience thin.
  • Kids Are Cruel: In various flashbacks it is revealed that Shin-Ae was subjected to harsh bullying throughout her elementary and middle school years
  • Kindhearted Cat Lover: Even when Shin-Ae can barely feed herself, she still buys food for the neighborhood cat. When she gets a bit more money than usual, she buys it salmon.
  • Knight in Sour Armor: Cynical and dislikes dealing with people but also won't hesitate to help anyone being treated unfairly.
  • Lame Pun Reaction: Whenever Yeong-Gi makes a pun her reaction is this.
  • Lip-Lock Sun-Block: Zigzagged in one of the author’s illustrations with her and Yeong-Gi. While the sunlight shining behind them as they are about to kiss in the kitchen the drawing perspective is in a different angle.
  • Loners Are Freaks: She is perceived as this by her classmates.
  • Lost Food Grievance: Yeong-Gi has to protect himself with a stool after she comes at him with a knife and then a spatula when she sees him eating her chicken.
  • Love Epiphany: Has one after Maya goads her into mentally coming to terms with her feelings for Yeong-Gi/Nol.
Shin-Ae: Shit! I don't have time for this!
  • Missing Mom: Flashbacks reveal that her mother walked out on her and her dad a long time ago, taking her sister with her.
  • Near-Rape Experience: At a party, a group of men accost Shin-Ae and one of them spikes her drink. Yeong-Gi drinks it instead and ends up in the hospital.
  • Nervous Wreck: Justified. Shin-Ae was going to her first interview and she really wants to earn money quick so she can pay the overdue rent for her and her father.
  • One of the Boys: Very much so. When she goes to the arcade with Maya, Rika, and Yeong-Gi's friends, she eventually gets roped into playing games with the boys and gets so worked up over trying to beat them while Maya and Rika went to the photo booth. Considering she was raised by a single father, it's no surprise Shin-Ae is such a Tomboy and while she's friends with Maya and Rika, her best friend is Min Hyuk.
  • Ow, My Body Part!: Justified. Shin-Ae hit her head hard at the bottom of the pool after falling from the second floor at Mr. Kim's formal. She wakes up in the hospital room with a headache.
  • The Paranoiac: Fits three of the criteria:
    • 3. Suspiciousness / Cynicism - In her own words: "Humans kinda suck."
    • 4. Jerkass - with a heart of gold, but she does occasionally purposely stomp on some nerves to drive people away from her, like when she refused to wipe the whipped cream off her face because she knew it bothered Kousuke.
    • 7 Conspiracy Theorist - When she discovers Mr. Stalker was the one she poured a drink over, she immediately starts imagining a ridiculous scenario with the conclusion that Yeong-Gi helped her and paid for her cab so he could follow it to find out where she lived and harass her.
  • Prank Call: She and Yeong-Gi prank call Maya and Rika as payback for ignoring her at the party.
  • Please, Don't Leave Me: Towards Nol, twice: first when she catches him right after he starts ghosting his friends, and then again when she futilely pleas for him to not leave for jail when he's already being escorted away.
Shin-Ae: I don't want you to go away. I don't want you to disappear.
  • Red String of Fate: Played with. One of the authors drawings shows Yeong-Gi and Shin-Ae sharing red earphones with each other.
  • Running Gag: A few.
    • Her spilling drinks and food on expensive clothes.
    • Shin-Ae frequently has a lot of funny facial expressions that border on Cringe Comedy.
  • Sexy Shirt Switch: Zig-Zagged. Shin-Ae is tricked by Mrs. Hirahara into wearing Kousuke’s dress shirt in an attempt to get him flustered.
Mrs. Hirahara: What do you think son? Doesn’t she look cute?...Instead of a girl wearing a sexy dress...You get a girl wearing your shirt for your birthday!
  • She Cleans Up Nicely: The dress she wears at the party combined with the makeup job done by Yeong-Gi brings out her features quite nicely.
  • Ship Tease: With Yeong-Gi and Kousuke. Dieter too.
  • The Smart Girl: Justified. Shin-ae is extremely introverted so she has nothing to distract her from studying, and thus is one of the best students at her school.
  • Sleep Cute: One of the author’s illustrations show her and Kousuke sleeping together.
  • Spit Take: Does this when Ms. Hirahara talks about Shin-Ae and Kousuke having stunning heirs.
  • Stepford Smiler: Revealed to be one when she was a kid. Despite the struggles she faced at school, she always put on a happy face for her father as to not be a burden on him.
  • Squick: She is grossed out when it turns out that the comic that she was reading has some questionable themes.
  • Stupid Sexy Flanders:
    • She begrudgingly admitted that Mrs. Hirihara is incredibly attractive like the rest of her family.
    • She rather blatantly stares at Alyssa Cho's breasts after not seeing her for so many years.
  • Talking in Your Sleep: When Yeong-Gi and Kousuke take her home she falls asleep in the car and proceeds to say this.
Shin-Ae:...anti-derivatives...indefinite integrals...
  • The Nicknamer: Downplayed. Shin-Ae gives Kousuke the nickname Q-tip and Yeong-Gi the name Mr. Stalker.
  • Tomboy: Shin-Ae is not exactly the girly type.
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: Is the Tomboy in contrast to her friends Rika and Maya.
  • Tomboyish Ponytail: She sometimes puts her hair in a low or high ponytail.
  • Unknowingly in Love: Despite how clear her feelings are to everyone around her, she in staunch denial of her feelings for Nol. Justified as Shin-Ae grew up in a household without a proper model of a romantic relationship and has a male best friend who she has purely platonically feelings for, so she has trouble differentiating between platonic and romantic feelings.
  • Was Too Hard on Him: Shin-Ae realizes how harsh she was to Dieter in rejecting his confession and calls him out later to apologize.
  • When She Smiles: It quite nice when Shin-Ae smiles. Kousuke, when he see's her smile genuinely while eating her food, tells her that she should smile more often.
  • Why Are You Looking at Me Like That?: She questions why everyone is staring at her when she comes to the masquerade party in the most blandest cut-out paper mask that looks like it belongs in a children's party. Bonus points for it looking similar to Jason's mask but without the holes.
  • You Are Too Late: By the time she, Soushi, and Dieter arrive at the hospital, Yui has already caused Nol to hand himself in to jail early and there is nothing she can do.
Shin-Ae: No! I didn't even get to convince him to stay!
  • You Remind Me of X: Inverted. She doesn't say it out loud to Yeong-Gi but she notes to herself that he reminds her of a puppy in chpt 26.
  • Your Makeup Is Running: Justified. Shin-Ae fell into the pool with her makeup on at Mr. Kim’s formal. When she is pulled out her mascara is running down her cheeks.
  • X on a Stick: Has some ricecake on a stick with Kousuke at the Spicy Spicy vendor outside the arcade.

     Yeong-Gi "Nol" Hirahara 

Yeong-Gi "Nol" Hirahara/Nolan Oliver T. Lochlainn

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nolyeonggi.jpg

A stranger that becomes entangled in Shin-Ae’s life after she accidentally hits him with a glass of orange juice. The illegitimate child of the Hirahara family, he is considered a slacker who spends most of his time with his friends instead of contributing to the company. Despite Shin-Ae’s best efforts to shrug him off, he is stubbornly persistent in becoming her friend and making her open up to others again.


  • Abel And Cain: Zig-Zagged, as while they aren't having an exactly ideal relationship, he and Kousuke aren't anywhere nearly as bad as the Trope Namers.
  • Accidental Pervert: Downplayed: After Shin-Ae says that she wants to leave the Hirahara party Yeong-gi offers to give her a ride. He and Shin-Ae immediately realizes the subtext of his words and he tries to explain to no avail...at first
Yeong-gi: You okay there, miss? Need some help?
Shin-Ae: I just wanna leave this place!
Yeong-gi: I'll give you a ride...wait
  • Affluent Ascetic: Although his family's rich, he doesn't live with them and compared to them, is noticeably more down-to-earth from the food he eats to the car he drives.
  • The Atoner: The majority of the actions Nol takes during the comic are motivated by "penance" for his past. Most notably, he chooses to help struggling people and become their friend in order to balance out the good and bad he puts out into the world.
  • Attractive Bent-Gender: In the extra chapter, "What If", the author drew a gender-bent version of him and he is still attractive.
  • Beneath the Mask: It's eventually revealed that the selfless Yeong-Gi is a persona that Nol puts up in order to connect with others and do good in the world to make up for his past. He ultimately chooses to leave this part of himself behind and stop suppressing his own desires for the sake of others, though he does believe that he'll eventually be able to reconcile these parts of himself.
  • Bastard Angst: He is seemingly suffering from this as Mr. Hirahara's illegitimate son.
  • Berserk Button: Downplayed. He doesn’t like his nickname Nol.
  • Big Eater: According to Soushi, his stomach's a bottomless pit.
  • Black Sheep: Yeong-Gi is definitely this to his family. As the illegitimate child of the Hirahara family, he faces a seemingly uncaring and emotionless father and the constant surveillance and hatred of his wife.
  • Blind Date: Inverted. Shin-Ae was already familiar with Yeong-Gi but Maya sets them up on a blind date via Kousuke.
  • Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: The redhead to Dieter's blonde and Soushi's brunette.
  • Break Her Heart to Save Her: Played straight with Shin-Ae. Even after realizing his romantic feelings for her and suspecting the feelings are mutual, Nol attempts to push her away because he doesn't want her to become Yui's target. Unfortunately for him, that ship has long sailed...
  • Break the Cutie: Good lord, on top of already having Bastard Angst, episode 63 was not kind to him at all, as his mother made him loose his grip on Kousuke and a drunk Shin-Ae, causing them both to fall into the pool leading to the latter to be hospitalized, causing everyone there to believe he dropped them on purpose, souring his relationship with his brother, and getting arrested by the police. The trial arc from episode 147 onwards does not help remedy this, with Yeong-Gi pleading guilty, getting sentenced to prison, and ghosting his friends because he thinks they're "better off without him."
  • Brilliant, but Lazy: Justified. For some reason his father didn't start teaching him the innerworks of his company early like Kousuke. However, when he starts working at the company, Kousuke and Jayce are amazed to see him doing so well with his work. Shin-Ae also notes how good he is in math but doesn't bother to show his work.
Jayce: [After Kousuke asks how Yeong-Gi is doing with work] He already completed all of Sang-Chul's work[...] I reviewed the work he's done but he’s been very thorough so far[...] But if he does manage to keep this up he'll catch up to you in no time. He might even give you a run for your money and take the company!
  • Broken Smile: When Shin-Ae finally snaps at him for smiling all the time, even in situations when one normally wouldn’t, he just smiles sadly.
  • Catchphrase: Whenever Yeong-Gi makes a promise he always says “You have my word”.
  • Calling the Old Man Out: He's typically meek and docile in his father's presence but when Shin-Ae's in danger, Yeong-Gi doesn't take his dad's lecture lying down and instead calls his father out for his hypocrisy before running off to find Shin-Ae.
  • Clueless Chick-Magnet: Not that he notices. He tells Shin-Ae that he thinks that girls are only nice to him because of his money.
  • Crazy Jealous Guy: Heavily downplayed. Though some interactions between him, Shin-ae, and Kousuke can come off as this, such as when he tries to give her his coat at the same time as Kousuke, later reveals make it clear that the real root of his ire is the complex relationship between the two brothers.
    • He also displays shades of this when as he seems saddened when he sees Shin-Ae dancing with Kousuke, however, it doesn't stop him from trying to get her to loosen up and enjoy herself from afar.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: It is implied that Nol had some kind of violent past that led him to spend a few years in his childhood in a mental facility. It's eventually revealed that he lost his mother at a young age, leaving him isolated in a foreign country with only the Hirahara's to rely on. He sought solace in Kousuke, but only faced scorn from him thanks to Yui's manipulation. Later, some kind of altercation occurred that was heavily implied to be largely fabricated by Yui that led to him being put in a mental facility for several years. Talk about a trauma conga line.
  • Death Glare: Downplayed. He gives one to Kousuke after he calls him Nol. Later sports one when staring down Yui, symbolizing how he isn't going to take things lying down anymore.
  • Deliberate Under-Performance: Implied. He seems to write with his left hand despite it being non-dominant and despite being able to finish math problems without even showing his work, he's not noted to have a lot of academic success. It's likely that this is an attempt to make himself seem nonthreatening to appease the Hiraharas.
  • Determinator: As Dieter puts it he doesn't give up once he sets his mind on something.
Dieter: I know how he can get annoying. That guy doesn't give up easily once he sets his mind on something.
Shin-Ae: [deadpan] Yeah...I noticed.
Kousuke: Would you like me to order you some tea?
Yeong-Gi: Is that supposed to be a joke? You know how much I hate that stuff...
  • Dogged Nice Guy: Played straight and discussed. Yeong-Gi, at first, really wants to be Shin-Ae's friend and likes hanging out with her, however, his actions are eventually called out by Shin-Ae as his attitude is giving mixed messages that he wants to be something more even though he already has a girlfriend. He realizes that he was surpassing boundaries and tries to keep himself in check afterwords.
  • Do Not Call Me "Paul": Yeong-gi hates it when people call him his birth name Nol/Nolan because Kousuke tormented him until he associated the name Nol with the worthlessness that Kousuke attributed to him. He begins going by Nol more frequently after accepting his true nature and embracing the role that he has been thrust into as a "villain".
  • Double Entendre: Yeong-gi offers Shin-Ae a ride home from the Hirahara party. Unfortunately, his diction brings out hilarious results.
    • Also does this intentionally when making puns.
  • Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: When he is first seen at his school, Nongke Math And Science Academy, he is notably very unhappy and completely out of it.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: In the prologue. Despite being blurred, his striking red hair and yellow hoodie can be seen in the background as Shin-Ae is about to cross the street.
  • Exhausted Eye Bags: Starts to get these just a little bit before, from working at the company tirelessly, having a fight with Shin-Ae and then fighting with Kousuke over his family issues.
  • Expository Hairstyle Change: His embracing of his true identity as Nol is marked by his change from a side-part to middle-part.
  • Face Doodling: Draws on Shin-Ae's face as payback for her calling him “Mr. Stalker”. He soon comes to regret it.
  • Falling into His Arms: Shin-Ae overworks herself while at the arcade with the others and faints as she is playing a dancing game. Yeong-Gi luckily catches her in time.
  • Firemen Are Hot: Yeong-Gi is depicted as a fireman in one of the authors drawings on her Instagram much to the delight of the fans.
  • Food as Bribe: Tries to bribe Shin-Ae with donuts in exchange for being her friend and does it again to get her to play Fabio Kart against him and his friends.
  • Hand Gagging: Played for laughs. Yeong-Gi covers Shin-Ae’s mouth with her hat after she starts screaming to get him to cover his ears.
  • Hates Being Touched: Zigzagged and Played for Drama. He isn't notably bothered when people touch him, but when it comes to Mrs. Hirahara, he is shown to be extremely uncomfortable which hints of either physiological or physical abuse caused by her. He is also shown to hate being grabbed on the arm, whether it be with a family member he has a strained relationship with, like Kousuke, or even a close friend like Shin-Ae.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: His mother was able to convince everyone that he purposefully let Kousuke and Shin-Ae fall into the pool. This gets him arrested.
  • Hunk: Tall and has a strikingly muscular physique with eight-pack abs, but still has a pretty face on top of that.
  • His Own Worst Enemy: It's heavily implied that Yeong-Gi harbors strong feelings of self-loathing. It's eventually revealed that Nol's self-image has been warped to such a degree that he doesn't believe he should be afforded normal relationships and self-satisfaction, and believes that only bad things will come to people he gets close to.
  • Hypocritical Humor: Talks to Shin-Ae about guys who can’t take the hint and leave a girl alone when he was doing the exact same thing to her. Shin-Ae points this out in her head afterwords. He also talks about how people use money to get what they want when he did the same to the bartender with his connection to his father who is very rich. However, this is played for laughs...mostly.
  • I Gave My Word: Yeong-Gi will always keep his word no matter what.
  • The Illegible: Like his drawing skills he also has terrible handwriting.
Shin-Ae: [looking over Yeong-Gi’s mathwork] What the..My god...His handwriting is terrible! You can barely read it!
  • I Just Want to Have Friends: Given his family that obviously favors his brother over him, his girlfriend who is no different than a fake girlfriend, and the fact that his classmates at school are two-faced towards him it's not hard to see why. It's emphasized in whenever we see him with his friends his face shines with happiness. Later played with with the reveal that he never intended his friendships to become real in the first place, and was instead using his relationships for penance. However, he admits to himself that the relationships he formed became real and that he, Shin-Ae, and Soushi have become true friends to each other.
  • Intertwined Fingers: One of the authors illustrations depicts him and Shin-Ae doing this.
  • Just Friends: Despite everything Yeong-Gi does, he insists to Kousuke that there's nothing between him and Shin-Ae beyond friendship. Later subverted, as much to Nol's own chagrin, he begins to realize his romantic feelings towards Shin-Ae
  • Lip-Lock Sun-Block: Zigzagged in one of the author's illustrations with him and Shin-Ae. While the sunlight shining behind them as they are about to kiss in the kitchen the drawing perspective is in a different angle.
  • Lonely Rich Kid: Both implied and defied. Yeong-Gi doesn't live as lavishly or even with his immediate family and has a rocky relationship with them. Similarly, at school, he's unhappy being surrounded by two-faced sycophants that want to get in his good graces for his money. It's implied he hounded Dieter and Soushi, who attend different schools, until they became his friends - his only friends until he meets Shin-Ae...and asks her to be his friend too.
  • Luminescent Blush: He blushes in embarrassment when Shin-Ae catches him spinning in a wheelchair and falling off it. After he develops feelings for Shin-Ae, he's shown to blush from his cheeks to his ears.
  • Master of the Mixed Message: His lavish kindness perplexes Shin-Ae to no end, especially because he already has a girlfriend. Shin-Ae calls him out on it and makes him tone it down in their friendship.
  • Meaningful Rename: It's unknown the origin of the name, but he started going by the name Yeong-Gi after returning from the mental facility. His Nana implies that he might have named himself after someone he met there.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Has the most - if not all of the - shirtless scenes among the guys, is overall handsome no matter what he wears and has a fairly amiable personality.
  • Muscles Are Meaningful: Discussed and Justified. It is revealed and implied that Yeong-Gi trained to become physically fit because of something, probably negative, dealing with his father.
  • Nice Guy: While somewhat nosy at times, he is still a good person.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: The In-between of his friend group. He has a mischievous side unlike Nice Guy Dieter and is more well-mannered the relatively brash Soushi.
  • Odd Couple: How people feel when they first find out Alyssa and Yeong-Gi are dating. Lampshaded by Shin-Ae and Sang-Chul.
  • Oh, Crap!: Has this face when his father sees him at the Mr. Kim's formal eating on the floor.
  • Only Known By His Nickname: Only his immediate family members use his real name, Nol (though Nol in itself is technically a nickname); he goes by Yeong-Gi with everyone else.
    • His nickname "Nol" is the shortened version of his legal name, Nolan Oliver T. Lochlainn. "Yeong-Gi" is his preferred name, though he allows certain people like his Nana to use the name Nol without any ire.
  • Overly Long Name: Downplayed and lampshaded. His legal name is Nolan Oliver T. Lochlainn. In a flashback in episode 148, he runs out of room on his paper to write his name. His classmates comment on the length of his name, and he later complains about it to his mother, who tells him that all of his names were in honor of important people in his parents' lives.
  • Ow, My Body Part!: Complains that his head is pounding after he wakes up from being drugged at the Hirahara party.
  • Please, Don't Leave Me: When Shin-Ae tries to leave the meeting that was set-up by her friend Yeong-Gi grabs her had asking Shin-Ae not to leave him alone with his brother.
  • Possessive Wrist Grab: He grab onto Shin-Ae's wrist so she won't leave during their second meeting, leading to her to make a scene to get him off of her. Later played with as he grabs Shin-Ae's wrist to prevent her from leaving after the two meet up for the first time since his ghosting of his friends, but this time is able to confidently call her bluff and identify that she doesn't actually want to get away from him.
  • Prank Call: As per his suggestion, Yeong-Gi prank calls Maya and Rika and tricks them into thinking that Shin-Ae was drunk at the bar.
  • Pun: Of course played for laughs. Yeong-Gi likes to throw around a few puns here and there much to the annoyance of everyone
Yeong-Gi: Oh come on Soushi you should know your formulas by now. It’s an ''integral' part of calculus
Shin-Ae: Did you just...
Soushi: Can you not…?
Yeong-Gi: Not what? Speak? You want me to limit what I say???
Shin-Ae: [throws book] Get out!
  • Punch Catch: In one of the extras, Kousuke tries to punch Yeong-Gi after he does something insulting but he catches it and hits back. A fight then issues.
  • Pungeon Master: The cold reception to his puns never stops him from making them.
  • Punny Name: Invoked and lampshaded by Yeon-Gi himself.
Yeong-Gi: I exorcise quite often. And I’m still Yeong...get it??? Get it..cause my name..
  • Puppy-Dog Eyes: When he tries to convince Shin-Ae to give him some chicken wings. It works.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: The passionate and reckless red to Kousuke's calm and serious blue. One episode even color codes it with Yeong-gi wearing a red tie and Kousuke wearing a blue one.
  • Red String of Fate: Played with. One of the author's drawings shows Yeong-Gi and Shin-Ae sharing red earphones with eachother.
  • Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Pulls this on the bartender when he says that Shin-Ae and Yeong-Gi aren't of age. He allows them to have a drink when he sees Yeong-Gi’s ID showing his connection with his father.
  • Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: He deliberately screws up his own drug possession trial seemingly because he's that desperate to get away from his family—primarily Yui. And also because this seems to help Yu Jing with her plans to expose Yui.
  • Sexual Euphemism: Played for laughs. Offers to give Shin-Ae a ride home but his words of choice make her think that he is talking about sex when he wasn't.
  • She's Not My Girlfriend: The employee working at Outdoor Cafe mistakes Shin-Ae for Yeong-Gi’s girlfriend, leading to Yeong-Gi to immediately correct them.
    • It also happens again when Soo tries to repay Shin-Ae for helping her daughter she gives her a movie ticket so that Shin-Ae and Yeong-Gi, who was with her at the time, can go on a date. He quickly corrects her a tells her that it's not what it looks like.
  • Ship Tease: With Shin-Ae.
  • Shirtless Scene: Has more than a few scenes where his shirt is either off or unbuttoned
  • Significant Green Eyed Red Head: Shin-Ae spilling a drink on him (by accident, no less) is what kick starts the plot.
  • Significant Monogram: His real full name, Nolan Oliver Lochlainn, is abbreviated "NOL", which can mean "nothing" or "zero" in some languages, as well as "Net Operating Loss", as Kousuke pointed out in a flashback in episode 148.
  • Smells Sexy: According to Shin-Ae, at least four times, he smells really good.
  • Stepford Smiler: Of the depressed/sad variety. Considering the type of family he has and the students at his school it's easy to recognize that some of his smiles aren't genuine at times. Shin-Ae finds it strange that he smiles all the time, although, it did give her comfort when she was blackmailed into going to a party by his mother. Shin-Ae even tells Yeong-Gi that she is glad he was there at the party. Kousuke also implies that Yeong-Gi's smile completely drops when no one is around.
  • Strong Family Resemblance: To his father which is lampshaded by Megan and Mrs. Hirahara saying that he looks like a younger version of him.
Megan: [after seeing Yeong-Gi in the office] Ehe. You know...you kinda look like a less scary baby version of the chairman.
  • Swivel-Chair Antics: While waiting for Kousuke to get back so they can eat he starts spinning in a wheelchair until Shin-Ae comes and causes he loses his balance.
  • Terrible Artist: In the first extra of Kousuke’s Corner it is revealed that compared to Shin-ae and Kousuke, Yeon-Gi drawing skills are horrible.
  • That Came Out Wrong: Immediately regrets the way he tries to help Shin-Ae leave the Hirahara party with his words when he unintentionally makes it seem like he’s asking for sex.
  • Trauma Button: Mrs Hirahara is implied to be one for him. When she tries to touch him at the formal, he is so taken aback that he drops Kousuke and Shin-Ae, causing all three of them to fall off the balcony and into the pool.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech:
    • To Kousuke after he reveals how his mistreatement of Nol ultimately stemmed from how much he admired him, as he feared that Nol would overtake him if he didn't push him down. Nol rightly points out that while Rand's emotional distance must have been damaging to Kousuke, it was no excuse for the way he treated him and that he doesn't owe him forgiveness.
    • He delivers a scathing one to Alyssa when she starts trying to blame him for their relationship problems. This is while he's in the hospital. Nol takes the chance to reveal that he's figured out that she put Shin-Ae in the hospital and is responsible for her being severely bullied for years, and points out how her abandonment of Shin-Ae is endemic of the fact that she will abandon her friends in a heartbeat the moment she finds someone who can offer her more.
  • The Unfavorite: Kousuke is favored more over Yeong-Gi by his parents. Most notably how his mother convinces everyone that he purposefully let Kousuke and Shin-Ae fall into the pool.
  • What the Hell, Hero?:
    • Gives one to Kousuke for trying to manipulate him into working for the company longer as well as rejecting Shin-Ae's work application due to his own biases rather than leaving it up to the hiring manager.
    • Yeong-Gi later confronts Kousuke over signing Shin-Ae up for etiquette lessons, not only because he did so after hardly giving her a chance, but also without consideration for her long-term goals.
  • When She Smiles: Gender-inverted. According to Shin-Ae, he has the type of smile that could let him get away with anything and it also makes her want to punch him and hug him at the same time.
  • Workout Fanservice: He is shown training and sweating while wearing little to no clothing to cover his upper body several times through the series, most commonly when he is punching the sandbag.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are: He tells Shin-Ae this after she beats herself up about her job application and among other things.
  • You Must Be Cold: After he notices that Shin-Ae is shivering he goes to give her his jacket...at the same time as Kousuke. They both realize this but Yeong-Gi still motions to put it on her - though she takes it off when she starts teasing her.
  • You're Cute When You're Angry: As Shin-Ae gets hyped and worked up over losing at Fabio Kart Yeong-Gi laughs and says he finds it cute.
Shin-ae: What are you laughing at??? I'll get you back for that spiny shell!!!
Yeong-Gi: I’ve never seen a girl get so worked up over a game like you! I find it funny...In a cute way.
  • Youthful Freckles: His gender-swapped version in the “What Ifs” illustrations has these.

     Kousuke Hirahara 

Kousuke Hirahara

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kousuke_tv.PNG

A usually well-mannered and sophisticated gentleman and the heir to the Hirahara company. In stark contrast to his regularly composed disposition, he enters Shin-ae’s life by tripping her over a slice of tiramisu. He has an intensely strained relationship with his brother, Nol, to which he serves as a caretaker of sorts.


  • Abel And Cain: Him and Nol. Though their relationship is not as bad as the trope-namers, things are very strained between them. The tension reaches its boiling point when Kousuke physically assaults Nol and accidentally causes him to wind up in the hospital.
  • Accidental Pervert: Invoked by Mrs. Hirahara after she catches Kousuke staring at Shin-Ae’s shirt(the one he bought for her at the mall).
Mrs. Hirahara: Oh my goodness! Son, where are your manners?! Staring at a young lady's chest??? I thought I raised you better than this!
Shin-Ae: [Cover her chest] What the heck bro getcho dirty eyes off my chest!
  • Aloof Big Brother: To Yeong-Gi. Ironically, his treatment of him has improved from during the Yeong-Gi's childhood when he would actively torment him and try to degrade his self-image. Thanks to Yui's manipulation, Kousuke is unable to see how terribly he has treated his brother until it is too late and Nol wants nothing to do with him.
  • Attractive Bent-Gender: According to Word of God, in the extra "What If" chapter, Kousuke's mother is the genderbent version of him and she is considered very attractive.
  • Believing Their Own Lies: Kousuke is deep, *deep* in denial about the reality that he has been manipulated by his mother into believing a false reality. Even when all signs are to the contrary, he refuses to compromise his own worldview and clings stubbornly to his version of reality. This is Played for Laughs when he blames Nol for knocking over Shin-Ae after immediately after hitting her with the door while barging into the room.
  • Blind Date: Zigzagged. Shin-Ae and Kousuke had already met but Maya, posing as Shin-Ae, sets him up on a blind date with Shin-Ae not to have them hook up but to have Yeong-Gi, who she asks to bring along, meet Shin-Ae again since Kousuke was the only way of having Shin-Ae meet Yeong-Gi again.
  • Brutally Honest: He doesn't mince words regarding his thoughts on thing, especially things he doesn't like.
  • Characterization Marches On: His first appearance has him being much more mean and emotional than usual, tripping and insulting Shin-Ae over a slice of cake. When Shin-Ae points this out later on he explains that he was very stressed and was desperate for the cake she had so he could cheer himself up. Later subverted. It's shown that Kousuke takes on a similarly impulsive, emotionally-driven face when under high amounts of stress, and his gentleman mask starts to completely slip as Nol becomes more and more independent.
  • Chick Magnet: Like his brother many find him attractive. Seeing as he has a Abhorrent Admirer he is not very happy about it. He even has girl repellent in the form of make-up remover.
  • Comfort Food: Kousuke loves sweets and part of the reason he eats it is to relieve stress.
  • Competition Freak: Constantly is comparing himself to Nol and is desperate to not let his brother overtake him. Ironically, he spent his childhood convincing Nol that he is nothing but a mistake, and therefore is comparing himself to a zero-point, and consequently equating them in status.
  • The Comically Serious: Frequently ends up as this.
  • Covert Pervert: While he is usually aloof and stoic, his mother finally manages to find a crack in his defenses and get him to blush when she orchestrates Shin-Ae wearing his dress shirt with her legs being naked, save for her feet.
  • Crazy Jealous Guy: Downplayed. When eating with Shin-Ae and Yeong-Gi and seeing how well they are getting along he starts to do actions that are out of his comfort zone so as to fit in.
    • Originally appears to be played straight when he asks Yeong-Gi to limit his interactions with Shin-Ae at Mr. Kim's formal. Later events re-contextualize this moment as a power move over Nol; his paranoia means that he sees his relationship with Shin-Ae as a threat to him as it is yet another example of how Nol is easily able to attract people towards him, unlike Kousuke.
  • Dating Sim: In the "What If" chapter Kousuke is shown as character in an RPG game.
  • Face Palm: He does this often when dealing with Meg.
  • Fatal Flaw: Perfectionism. He tends to measure everything up to his ridiculously high standards. And whenever something, or someone, fails to do so, he either looks down on them or takes drastic actions to change them so that they do (e.g., Signing Shin-Ae up for etiquette lessons after barely a day of work). This is already a source of friction between him and Yeong-Gi and it's evident that Shin-Ae is less than comfortable around him for this very reason.
  • Fetish: Played for laughs and averted. When Kousuke says “pandemonium” Shin-Ae mishears his words as “panda moans” and thinks that he has weird fetishes. He doesn’t.
  • Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Downplayed, but he is generally the more mature of the two.
  • Genius Sweet Tooth: Very smart and loves sweets to the point that the first time he and Shin-Ae meet is when they come in conflict over the last remaining tiramisu.
  • Gentleman Snarker
  • Handshake Substitute: When Kousuke greets Sang-Chul he initiates the standard business greeting to which Sang-Chul returns..somewhat.
  • Has a Type: Played for laughs. Mrs. Hirahara plays around with Shin-Ae and tells her that Kousuke is more of a derriere kind of guy.
Mrs. Hirahara: I’m just teasing! I know my son. He won’t oogle at women’s breasts...He’s more of a derriere kind of guy.
Shin-Ae: What?!?!
  • Holding Hands: He holds Shin-Ae’s hand after he listens to her talk about her family troubles.
  • Hypocrite: When Kousuke tells Yeong-Gi that he shouldn’t let his personal bias for Shin-Ae affect his work, much less be his reason to work, Yeong-Gi backfires and calls Kousuke out on letting his personal bias for his brother and Shin-Ae affect the way he works.
    • Yu Jing at one point directly points out that Kousuke has a nasty habit of projecting his flaws and insecurities onto Nol. He says that she's living a pathetic and sad life and that she needs help. This is the literal day after he put his own brother in the hospital and gave himself a concussion when frantically pursuing a dead end lead on Nol's mother.
Yu Jing: You made it known how reluctant you were about having that kid as a brother because of his mental instability and violent tendencies. Well, it's been years since then. We've all met him several times. I've met him. Nothing about him screams violent. Your cousin doesn't think so. Nobody does. But you always bring up his violent past.
Yeong-Gi: Keep up those snide remarks and my punching bag won’t be necessary. I’ve got my temporary replacement.
Kousuke: Is that a threat?
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: He has trouble remembering some of his especially vile behavior towards his brother because for years Yui has been lacing his food with drugs, seemingly to make it easier to get him to buy into her manipulations. These caused blackouts in his memory. Once he starts purging them from his system, he begins to remember things and is horrified by his past actions.
  • Manipulative Bastard: He tricks Yeong-Gi into thinking that Shin-Ae is a potential candidate for getting a job to have his brother continue working, and then rejects Shin-Ae’s application without telling him. Yeong-Gi eventually calls Kousuke out for his actions.
  • My Card: He gives Shin-Ae his business card so she can call him when she finds out how he can repay her for her help at the Hirahara party.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: It takes over 200 episodes, but Kousuke eventually realizes that he was being manipulated by his mother and that he's been an absolute monster to his brother for no good reason. The revelation so gut-wrenching for Kousuke that the first time he tries to begin making amends with Nol to his face, he runs away and starts to vomit. While he's throwing up, he recalls some of the other awful things he's done, such as refusing to believe that his friend in college was sexually assaulted and saying that she was misinterpreting the whole thing.
  • Lost Food Grievance: The reason why he dislikes Meg so much. Sure, she stalks him and tries to touch him in places he doesn't want to be touched, but stealing his dessert is truly her most unforgivable crime.
  • No Sense of Personal Space: Leans in close to Shin-Ae's face when questioning her about what happened to Yeong-Gi at the Hirahara party. Shin-Ae is not amused.
  • Not So Above It All: Kousuke tripping up Shin-Ae to get the last piece of cake is this in-universe. Normally he's the very picture of a Princely Young Man.
    • Then there is his reaction to seeing Shin-Ae wearing nothing but his dress shirt.
  • Not What It Looks Like: Tries to explain to Rika and Maya that he didn’t restrain Shin-Ae to the chair. They don’t buy it.
  • The Perfectionist: His attitude about everything and anything is more-or-less this trope.
  • Picky Eater: Zizagged. Being the rich person that he is, his normal food intake consists of high class food so he it's not that he is unwilling so much as he isn’t particularly used to “common people food” and shows discomfort in it. It's lampashaded by Shin-Ae and Yeong-Gi.
Shin-Ae: [after seeing Kousuke staring glumly at his food] No way...don't tell me you've never eaten a hamburger before. First it's the ricecakes. Now it's the hamburgers. Seriously???
Yeong-Gi: Just let him eat it the way he wants. He’s always been prim and proper. He won't do it.
Shin-ae: As if you're one to talk! You’re always scowling! You're even scowling right now.
Kousuke: [angry] This is my natural face.
  • Pretty Boy: Tall, handsome, and all the girls are not shy about pointing it out.
  • Princely Young Man: Except when he is being Not So Stoic.
  • Real Men Can Cook: Tells Shin-Ae that besides eating sweets he often tries to cook in his own time to deal with stress and that he learned quite a few recipes from his chef.
  • Real Men Wear Pink: Has no qualms wearing a pink dress shirt.
  • Serious Business: When Shin-Ae says that his favorite dessert isn't all that he suggest she goes to the hospital as everyone likes White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake .
Kousuke: You don’t like it?
Shin-Ae: Nah
Kousuke: Such a shame. I recommend you get your tongue checked[...] I'm only worried about you health. I have never met a single who has not enjoyed cake. It is quite concerning.
  • Ship Tease: With Shin-Ae. Downplayed: it's heavily implied that the majority of his actions towards her actually stemmed from his complex relationship with his brother and that he has been treating her subconsciously as a way to make up for his mistreatment towards him.
  • Shirtless Scene: Regularly averted. It gets to the point that when Yeong-Gi tries to forcefully invoke this in an omake, he is revealed to be wearing a second shirt underneath the first one.
  • Sibling Team: Rather tragically, Nol and Kousuke would have made a great team if not for the external forces that pit them against each other. While Shin-Ae is drugged and in danger they temporarily work together to rescue her. Lampshaded by Nol.
Nol: We probably would have made a great team.
  • Sleep Cute: One of the author’s illustrations show him and Shin-Ae resting together.
  • Split Personality: Averted. He doesn't have one. But from the way he acts when Shin-Ae first meets him to how he acts when they meet again at Outdoor Cafe, Shin-Ae briefly wonders if he has a split personality. Her comment foreshadows how Kousuke's "gentleman" nature will crumble over time to reveal the deeply paranoid man underneath.
  • Strong Family Resemblance: He looks very much like his mother. In fact, Word of God says that Kousuke is the genderbent version of his mother.
  • Sugar-and-Ice Personality: When he's first introduced, Kousuke is quick to insult Shin-Ae and dismiss the fact that he shoved her to the ground. Several episodes later it's shown how much of a genuinely well-meaning, albeit irritable, man he is. This is best demonstrated when he promptly apologizes to Shin-Ae for his previous behavior upon meeting her again.
  • Unwitting Pawn: Justifiably becomes one to Yui. He lived his entire life in a false reality thanks to the poisonous manipulation of his mother, leading to him to believe that everyone is out to get him and that his family are the only people he can trust. Among others, this led to him believing Nol is violent and unstable and to disbelieve the sexual assault of someone in his friend group, leading to their death.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to Yeong-Gi on how he just hangs out with his friends without much motivation or goals to work in the family business and not really accomplishing anything significant for the family as of late.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: Seeks Rand's affection above all else, often to his own detriment.
  • You Must Be Cold: He notices that she is cold... at the same time as Yeong-Gi. However, Yeong-Gi still motions to put it on her first. Cue Death Glare between the two.
  • X on a Stick: Has some ricecake on a stick with Shin-Ae at the Spicy Spicy vendor stand.

Supporting Characters

    Dieter 

Dieter Becker-Wulff

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dieter_8.jpg

Yeong-Gi's friend and Shin-Ae's classmate whose Love Confession to her kick off the plot. A sweet and sensitive person who sees Shin-Ae for her best traits.


  • Always Someone Better: Discussed. Dieter admits to himself and to Nol that he can't compare to the bond between Nol and Shin-Ae and recognizes that he is, in one way or another, fighting a losing battle.
Dieter: And I've seen the way she cries for you... Even if just as friends... Neither at my best, nor at my worst. I never got that.
  • Ambiguously Bi: He's clearly attracted to Shin-Ae but his comments about Kosuke's complexion hints at some kind of attraction, especially considering he never makes comments like that elsewhere.
  • Animal Motif: Bears, he has at least one pair of bear print underpants, multiple teddy bears, he gets Shin-Ae a large teddy bear at the amusement park, wears a bear ear headband that he got from the same park, and his sister says he's obsessed with bears.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Dieter is very kind and apparently prone to fainting when nervous, but can become tough when needed. Notably, he very politely and very firmly tells Kousuke to leave Shin-Ae alone at the theatre when she is obviously uncomfortable. He is also very capable in a fight.
  • Bilingual Bonus: He sometimes resolves to German whenever he is nervous or flustered (most notably during his day out with Shin-Ae from episode 77-81).
  • Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: The blonde to Soushi's brunette and Yeong-Gi's redhead.
  • Breakout Character:
    • Beginning to have a bigger role in the plot after a Day of the Dead poll shows him to be the most popular characters outside of the three leads.
    • He is imagined to be the protagonist (with Shin-Ae as the main love interest) in the 2017 Special scenario "If I Love Yoo was a sport comic"
  • Endearingly Dorky: He is awkward and shy in everyday life, constantly flustered and embarrassed (to the point of fainting) when speaking with Shin-Ae as well as having numerous other quirks because of his background. All of them seems to endear him to Shin-Ae.
  • Crush Blush: The most obvious indicator that he's still attracted to Shin-Ae is his constant blushing around her.
  • Goofy Print Underwear: Soushi finds a pair of bear print underwear in his house.
  • Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Has blond hair because of his German heritage (compare to the rest of the cast who has black hair) and is the most kind and compassionate character in the comic.
  • Hidden Depths: He has been shown to be very capable with a gun, and horror movies are his favorite genre. He is also starkly observant and often catches the details that others miss out on.
  • Innocent Blue Eyes: He has blue eyes (due to his German heritage) and is one of the nicest and least-drama entangled character in the comic.
  • I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Even when Shin-Ae's feelings for Nol become more and more apparent, he still offers himself as a source of comfort for her and does not try to get in the way of the two of them. Played with as Dieter is learning to set boundaries for himself so that he is not the only one giving in Shin-Ae and his relationship.
  • Military Brat: Is raised by an American father in the military and a German tourist mother.
  • Nice Guy: Is easily the nicest characters in the series. He is notably only ever has nice interaction in every single one of his appearances.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: The nicest of his best friend trio compare to the mischievous Yeong-Gi and brash Soushi
  • Third-Option Love Interest: Shin-Ae seems to begin to be exploring her feelings for him after episode 77.

    Mr. Yoo 

Sim Han Yoo

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/simhanyoo.jpg

Shin-Ae's overworked but loving father.


  • The Alcoholic: He develops a drinking problem because of the stress from work and his family life. It caused him to be in a coma from episode 46.
  • Parents as People: Is a divorced father struggling to provide for his daughter and has a drinking problem.
  • Put on a Bus: His alcoholism caused him to be hospitalized from episode 46 to 82.
  • Solomon Divorce: He and his wife split the custody of Shin-Ae and her sister.

    Soushi 

Soushi Toyoshima

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soushitoyoshima.jpg

Yeong-Gi and Dieter's carefree and goofy friend.


  • Blonde, Brunette, Redhead: The brunette to Dieter's blonde and Yeong-Gi's redhead.
  • Hidden Depths: His financial situation appears to be as poor as Shin-Ae's at the beginning of the series and he has several sisters to take care of, including one who is physically disabled.
  • No Indoor Voice: He's almost always shouting about something.
  • Nice Mean And In Between: The "meanest" of his friend trio whose brash behavior contrast to Nice Guy Dieter and mischievous but well-behaved Yeong-Gi.
  • Rugged Scar: Has a scar on his left cheek bone. This caused Yeong-Gi's school friends to be wary of him and his friendship with Yeong-Gi.
  • The Mole: Struck a deal to report Yeong-Gi's actions back to Kousuke in exchange for financial security. Having genuinely befriended Yeong-Gi, this is a constant source of guilt and he expresses that he wants to come clean about it.

    Rika Lau 

Rika Lau

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rikalau_6.jpg

One of Shin-Ae's closest friends whose father works under the Hirahara family.


  • Nice Girl: Unlike Maya, who is seemingly (later confirmed) is only friends with Shin-Ae out of obligation to Min Hyuk, Rika is understanding of Shin-Ae's mistakes and gets along well with her new friends.
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: Has a lot of femininine interests along with her friend Maya in contrast to Shin-Ae's more Tomboy personality.

    Maya Park 

Maya Park

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mayapark.jpg

The girly and bubbly sister of Min-Hyuk. One of Shin-Ae's closest friends.


  • Fair-Weather Friend: Zigzagged. It was revealed that Maya doesn't particularly like Shin-Ae and only befriended her out of obligation to Min Hyuk. While she doesn't abandon Shin-Ae when her dad is hospitalized, she is increasingly irritated and annoyed when Shin-Ae doesn't want to share her life details with her. The two of them eventually reconcile, however, and they are shown to have grown closer after having restarted their relationship.
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: Has a lot of femininine interests along with her friend Rika in contrast to Shin-Ae's more Tomboy personality.

    Min Hyuk Park 

Min Hyuk Park

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/minhyukpark.jpg

Shin-Ae's best friend and Maya's older brother. Currently attending college in Chicago.


    Megan Cho 

Megan Cho

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/megancho.jpg

Alyssa's sister and Kousuke's most prominent admirer (much to his annoyance).


  • Character Development: Goes from a single note annoying stalker to someone rediscovering herself and self-reflecting on her past actions. It is also heavily implied that a certain someone had a huge influence in enabling her past behavior: as many before her, she is a victim of Mrs. Hirahara's manipulations.
  • Heel Realization: The moment she realizes that Yui—the only person who was egging on her behavior towards Kousuke—is not a good person, she stops pursuing him.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: She is not proud of stalking Kousuke.
  • Old Shame: In-Universe. When Yu Jing spells out to her how obsessive, unhinged and crazy she appeared in the eyes of everyone when she was pursuing Kousuke, she is absolutely overwhelmed with embarassement.
  • Pet the Dog: Meg was previously written as a shallow stalker. But she shows a kinder side at the party when she realizes Shin-Ae is being slipped date-rape drugs by Sang-Chul. She goes out of her way to alert Kousuke and Yeong-gi and get them to mount a rescue (which is more difficult than it should be thanks to them having little tolerance for her due of her previous antics.)
  • Stalker with a Crush: She repeatedly harasses and stalk Kousuke in both his professional and personal life to get close to him. She's a slightly more nuanced example of this trope than most, as she never resorts to violence or threats and her behavior was encouraged by Yui, who told her Kousuke was just playing hard to get. She stops her pursuit as soon as she comes across signs that Yui is a bad person.

    Alyssa Cho 

Alyssa Cho

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alyssacho.jpg

Yeong-Gi's current girlfriend who made her debut as a pop idol. Also Shin-Ae’s former friend from middle school whose abandonment of her solidified Shin-Ae’s lack of trust in humanity..


  • Ambiguously Gay: It is up in the air on whether this applies to her or not. She takes special interest in Shin-Ae in the flashback arc and is shown to blush profoundly whenever she compliments her, and is bullied by the other children with language that brings to mind homophobic comments, such as one boy commenting "what a waste" she is. Her being a lesbian also aligns with her unrelenting desire to be accepted by others around her.
  • Deconstructed Character Archetype: Like Yoo, she seems to deconstruct common K-Drama tropes. In many ways she's the fantasy of the up and coming idol: She is beautiful, rich, popular, and due to her unique circumstances she gets to ignore the no dating rule and get into a relationship with one of the sons of a wealthy and powerful family. However, I Love Yoo is not a typical K-Drama. Through her we see the dark side of the entertainment industry. Her drive to obtain fame and success pushes her to do selfish things and blinds her to the harm she's caused. Unlike Yoo, she refuses to see that these things are very bad outside of the realm of fiction and cannot accept that Yui is a bad person.
  • Dirty Coward: As a child, she essentially sold out Yoo for popularity. While she didn't intend on making Yoo look like a thief, that was on accident, she refused to clear things up after the student body came to that conclusion because it would endanger her social standing.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: She's seen in a video in Episode 19 but isn't officially introduced until Episode 58.
  • Foil: To Yoo. Alyssa comes from a wealthy family and enjoyed popularity growing up despite also being a transfer student. While Yoo is extremely slender and implied to be self conscious about it, Alyssa is as curvy as you can be while still being a pop idol. However, Yoo has a great relationship with her dad and Alyssa's family, while together, does not appear to be functional. She's terrified of her father. Yoo also refuses to play along with Yui's plans for her and recognizes her attempts to get her together with Kousuke as vile emotional manipulation. Alyssa idolizes Yui, does not critically examine how she hurts others, and is desperate for her approval.
  • Fatal Flaw: Her unwillingness to examine her own role in peoples' lives and the consequences of her actions lead her to tragically cling to her path even when it is leading her further and further from what she truly wants.
  • Freudian Excuse: Everything wrong she does stems from an all-consuming desire for the approval and love of as many people as possible. This desire seems to stem from being raised in a dysfunctional household controlled by her father, who is quick to anger, has extremely high standards, and didn't show her much affection if any at all.
  • Hypocrite: She has one thing in common with Kousuke: A tendency to project her flaws and insecurities onto other people. She accuses Nol of keeping her around as a sort of trophy to appease his family. She got together with him because Yui encouraged her to, and she really wants Yui's approval.
  • It's All About Me: A tragic example that appears to be a result of coming from a dysfunctional household. She is desperate to carve out a safe and comfortable life for herself. While she won't go out of her way to harm her friends, she is always ready and willing to toss them aside if it means getting in the good graces of someone who can give her more and will not take any responsibility for the pain this pattern of behavior causes.
  • Karma Houdini: She never faced any real consequences for nearly killing Yoo. It's only years later when Nol figures out what she did that this that she gets called out for what she did. Her past actions and her mistreatment of him during their relationship causes him to deliver a scathing "The Reason You Suck" Speech that leads to their break-up.
  • Never My Fault: She refuses to take any responsibility when Yoo confronts her for having given away their group project and blames her for taking it back. She also never goes to visit Yoo after putting her in the hospital, but that could just be out of shame.
    • Then Nol confronts her over her neglecting their relationship and how she put Yoo in the hospital, having figured it out despite Yoo specifically omitting Alyssa's name when telling the story. Once again, all she can do is frame herself as the victim and refuse to take any responsibility for her actions.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: She didn't intend to further damage Yoo's social life when abandoning her, and she was appalled after she accidentally shoved Yoo out a window and put her in the hospital. Still, her actions made Yoo even more of a Pariah than she already was.
    • Plays this role once again when she gives away Nol's location to Yui, causing him to leave for prison early so he can't be harmed by the woman.
  • Infidelity Index: Zigzagged when she is put in a situation where she has to offer sexual favors to advance her career; it is important to note that this circumstance is assault due to her situation compromising all forms of consent. Nol only notices the hickeys on her neck, however, causing him believing she is cheating on him.
  • We Used to Be Friends: She was one of Shin-Ae's first friends, but in order to get clout with some more popular kids gave the project they'd worked together on to said popular kids without telling Yoo. Yoo naturally came to the conclusion that it had been stolen and got it back, leading to the student body being convinced that Yoo was the thief..

    Mrs. Hirahara 

Yui Hirahara

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yuihirahara.jpg

The Hirahara's matriarch.


  • Abusive Parents: It's heavily implied that she framed Nol for Kousuke's violent outburst, got Nol thrown into a psychiatric facility to cover it up, framed Nol for drug possession, and deliberately sabotaged his attempt at getting into Oxford. On top of all of that, she has been drugging Kousuke for what seems like years and forces the doctors in the Hirahara Hospital to discharge him despite the fact that he clearly has a concussion, seemingly because it would be inconvenient.
  • An Offer You Can't Refuse: She manipulates Shin-Ae into this as Shin-Ae needs some serious money to help her dad at the hospital and their bills. The results aren't pretty.
  • Big Bad: A lot of things that go wrong for the Hirahara and everyone connected to them can be traced to her and her manipulations. Randulph has been locked in a battle of wits with her for decades, she grabs every opportunity to make Nol's life miserable, she purposefully worsened Kousuke's relationship with his father by playing with his insecurities and going as far as limiting how Randulph can even interact with his own son, and has no qualms drugging Kousuke to make him fall asleep in the hospital (and, judging by past events, it may not be the first time she does so). She is even elated to confront Randulph in Kousuke's hospital room, with her husband pointing out how deeply sick her behavior is while their son in his current state. While talking to Randulph and forbidding him from touching Kousuke, she has no issue touching him, placing her hands dangerously close to his private parts, giving off a nauseous impression of sexual abuse.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Puts up a kind front but manipulates and takes advantage of Shin-Ae by offering her money so long as she complies with her requests - not to mention her treatment of Yeong-Gi.
  • The Chessmaster: It's clear that she's seeing the game at a much broader scale than any of the other characters in the comic (sans her husband) and that each of the moves she makes is carefully calculated so that the result is always in her favor.
  • Compressed Hair: It is revealed she wears a cap when Yeong-Gi accidentally pulls of her wig as he is falling into the pool at Mr. Kim’s formal.
  • Did Not Think This Through: It's really surprising that a master manipulator like her was drugging Kousuke with benzo and oxy based drugs without barring him from drinking. It's a combination that has the potential to be deadly.
  • Domestic Abuse: Implied. She's hinted to have abused Yeong-Gi in the past - not that she hasn’t stopped. As such Yeong-Gi is shown to be extremely uncomfortable whenever in her presence. It's also been confirmed that she drugs Kousuke with a dangerous cocktail of substances that could easily trigger an overdose.
  • Eyes Always Shut: She rarely opens her eyes, expect when taken by surprise or when she decides to drop her facade, neither of which happen very often. Coupled with her unsettling smile, it makes her presence all the more unnerving.
  • Faux Affably Evil: Mrs. Hirahara is affable to a fault. That doesn't stop her from manipulating everyone around her and try to hurt people with seemingly innocent words which are, in fact, meant to destroy their self-esteem or carry veiled threats under the guise of advices. Make no mistake: every word coming from her mouth is poison.
  • Hate Sink: Her manipulative behavior, which extends towards her own biological son (who is none the wiser), and her abuse of Yeong-Gi catapults her into this category.
  • Icy Blue Eyes: She his light blue eyes - a trait which is passed down to Kousuke.
  • Jerkass: Has no issue with messing with Yeong-Gi emotionally. She seems to enjoy his pain.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Plays everyone around her like a fiddle. Most notably setting up Shin-Ae to go to Kousuke's apartment and the company party. She implies in the latter chapters that she traveled just to see what her husband would do and that she could "take everything from [him]."
  • My Beloved Smother: Is incredibly overbearing with Kousuke and all aspects of his life. The reveal that she has been carefully monitoring and drugging Kousuke his entire life gives this a much darker implication in hindsight.
  • Perpetual Smiler: The number of panels that she isn't smiling in number in the single digits.
  • Prim and Proper Bun: Has her hairstyle in this when she goes to meet Shin-Ae in the hospital to give her the money she owes. The real question is whether that is her real hair or a wig...
  • Sadist: She absolutely loves to see Randulph squirm, and seems to always go the extra mile to make him miserable.
  • Shipper on Deck: Deconstructed. She uses emotional manipulation and even blackmail to try and force Kousuke and Yoo together. She even arranges for Sang Chul to drug her at a party as a way of making her more vulnerable. Later reveals show that she wasn’t interested in getting Shin-Ae and Kousuke together for either of their sakes: she purely just wanted to play with her son and is implied to enjoy seeing him uncomfortable.
  • Slasher Smile: Her smiles are creepy at best, horrifying at worst, especially when she is seen enjoying making Randulph suffer in episode 221.
  • Smug Smiler: She is always shown with a confident smile on her face.
  • Strong Family Resemblance: She looks very much like her son Kousuke. In fact, Word of God says that Kousuke is the genderbent version of his mother.

    Mr. Hirahara 

Randulph Hirahara

The Hirahara's patriarch.


  • Hidden Depths: It is implied that he was truly in love with Yeong-Gi's mother, and that he cares for his sons deep down but limits how much affection he can show in order to not become a target of his wife.
  • Hidden Heart of Gold: Downplayed, but he goes to Church often and is shown to be completely haunted after finding Nol about to bleed out in the snow.
  • Pet the Dog: Twice. First, after bailing out Yeong-Gi, he lends his son transportation so that he may go see Shin-Ae at the hospital. Then Mr. Hirahara helps Yeong-Gi's case so that the latter can receive a reduced sentence.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Despite what his treatment of Yeong-Gi suggests, Randulph is a lot more rational than he appears, especially within his business. He is very polite towards Shin-Ae and is surprisingly tolerant of her behavior, something that Kousuke, who takes strongly after his father in terms of personality, frequently condemns.
  • Secret Test of Character: Invokes this with Shin-Ae by feigning belief in the gossip surrounding Yeong-Gi to see how she would react. He later reveals that this was to test her loyalty to Yeong-Gi so that she could be entrusted to do a secret task for his son.
  • Strong Family Resemblance: To his son Yeong-Gi which is lampshaded by Megan and Mrs. Hirahara saying that Yeong-Gi looks like a younger version of him.
  • The Stoic: A cold man who rarely shows any expression at all.

    Sang Chul Kim 

Sang Chul Kim

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sang_chulkim_3.jpg

A high-ranking employee of the Hirahara corporation.


  • Chekhov's Gunman: He is the man who tried to drug Shin-Ae during the party in the first few episodes.
  • Jerkass: He's a loudmouthed a-hole who is unnecessarily mean to everyone around him.

    Shin-Hye Yoo 

Shin-Hye Yoo

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/i_love_yoo_4.jpg

Click to see her face in the present. 

Shin-Ae's older sister who got separated from her since their parents' divorce. She recently surfaced when Shin-Ae discovered her breaking into Shin-Ae and their father's apartment.


  • Anonymous Benefactor: She was the one who sought out the charity that helped with paying the hospital bill for Mr. Yoo as well as paid for Shin-Ae and their father's rent.
  • Poor Communication Kills: The whole mess of episode 83-85 could have easily been avoided if she just talked to Shin-Ae normally. Running out of the bathroom that Shin-Ae locked her in didn't make her case any easier.
  • Recurring Extra: She has appeared in the background numerous times since episode 18. Justified because she was actually stalking Shin-Ae.
  • Stalker without a Crush: She has been stalking Shin-Ae for a couple of months ever since she heard Shin-Ae's name in chapter 18.

    Yu Jing 

Yu Jing

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yujing.jpg

A mysterious woman with a complicated relationship to Kousuke and the Hiraharas. She, Kousuke, and Hansuke were friends in college but had a major falling out.


  • Aloof Dark-Haired Girl
  • Audience Surrogate: She seems to have figured out just how horrible Yui's behavior is and that she's ruining Nol's life. She also likes dressing Kousuke down, pointing out how unfair he's been to his brother, and has been trying to get him to realize how cruel his mother is.
  • Big Good: She's the only person making real headway in bringing Yui's actions to light. She seems to have uncovered corruption all over the Hiahara business, including Sang Chul's school covering up sexual assaults.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: She first appears as a random background character who gives Shin-Ae some fashion tips while she is buying work clothes.
  • Informed Attractiveness: Shin-Ae mentions finding Yu Jing beautiful in her inner monologue, even referring to her as "the pretty lady".
  • Intrepid Reporter: Her day job is that she is an investigative journalist, which is what has brought her back into contact with the Hiraharas.
  • Pet the Dog: When she first encounters him during the comic, Yu Jing is quite cold towards Kousuke. They had some sort of falling out in the past. When Kousuke isn't careful with his words, she stops holding back her disdain towards him. When it becomes clear that Kousuke has figured out that his mother is a monster and he needs to start trying to make amends with Nol her demeanor towards him markedly softens.
  • We Used to Be Friends: Apparently used to be close to Kousuke in the past, though the two grew apart (which she implies to have been Kousuke's fault). It later turns out that it was: They had a mutual friend who was sexually assaulted, he refused to believed her and said that she was misinterpreting events. This resulted in Yu Jing cutting off contact with him for years.

    Hansuke Shishido 

Hansuke Shishido

Kousuke's cousin and longtime friend, and a doctor at Hirahara Memorial Hospital.


  • Bunny-Ears Lawyer: A goofy otaku and party animal, but also a highly competent doctor.
  • Life of the Party: A wild party animal who has no problem making friends or inserting himself into other groups.
  • Only Friend: Is this to Kousuke, being the only person who he regularly vents to or calls for advice.
  • Proud to Be a Geek: Is very open about his nerdiness, to the point of walking around in broad daylight carrying a body pillow of a scantily clad anime character and talking about his waifus.

    Eleanor "Nana" Lochlainn 

Eleanor "Nana" Lochlainn

Nol's grandmother. A kind and caring woman, she looks after her grandson and makes sure his character is developing properly.


  • Calling the Young Man Out: Calls out Nol for harboring feelings for Shin-Ae while still having a girlfriend, saying she doesn't want him to end up like his father.
  • Doting Grandparent: Shown to be a very caring grandmother to Nol, who she is always looking out for.
  • Hidden Badass: She might be a kindly grandmother most of the time, but don't underestimate Nana. She is fiercely protective of Nol and wary of Yui and calls her a 'hag' behind her back. Word of God also says that she knows how to shoot a rifle.
  • Tragic Mistake: Implied. When Nol is blocking Shin-Ae from his hospital room, Nana recommends she give it time and not force things because doing things like that may lead to a person shutting you out forever. It's likely that Nana knows this from firsthand experience, and that she ended up pushing her daughter Nessa away and never saw her again.

    Nessa Lochlainn 

Nessa Lochlainn

Nol's deceased mother and the mistress of Randulph Hirahara.


  • Affectionate Nickname: Created the nickname 'Nol' when he complained about his full name being too long for the kids to pronounce at school. Tragically, the name that she gave him was twisted by Kousuke into something that Nol hates and only reminds him of how little he amounts to.
  • Doting Parent: Was an affectionate and caring mother to Nol when she was first alive.
  • Driven to Suicide: According to the newspaper, this was her cause of death. Knowing Yui, however, it's likely things aren't so simple.
  • Posthumous Character: She died before the comic started when Nol was still a child.
  • Morality Pet: Implied to be one to Rand. After she died, all that was left of him was an emotionless shell.

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