Lee Jung-jae made a surprising public confession.
On the 23rd episode of tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama 'Annoying Love' (directed by Kim Ga-ram, written by Jung Yeorang, produced by Studio Dragon, Studio & New, Artist Company), Im Hyun-joon (played by Lee Jung-jae) shocked everyone with a bombshell confession during the press conference for 'Good Detective Kang Pil-gu Season 5'. Although the confession was vague, Im Hyun-joon's gaze was solely directed at Wi Jung-shin (played by Lim Ji-yeon), raising viewers' heart rates. The impact of Im Hyun-joon's public confession is eagerly anticipated.
The 14th episode of 'Annoying Love' recorded a nationwide household rating of 4.4% on average, peaking at 5.1%, and maintained its top spot in the same time slot across cable and general programming channels. (Based on Nielsen Korea's paid platform) Previously, at the TV Chosun 'No Next Life' production presentation last month, lead actress Kim Hee-sun mentioned the competing tvN drama 'Annoying Love', jokingly questioning, "Can you relate to the romance between the two?" 'Annoying Love' portrays the romance between Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon, and the casting news drew criticism from some due to their 18-year age difference.
The person who got out of the car rushing towards Wi Jung-shin was Lee Dae-ho (played by Kim Jae-chul). Despite his warnings, Lee Dae-ho ominously told Wi Jung-shin, "Since I've confirmed your intentions, I'll move in my own way," foreshadowing relentless evil deeds. Yoon Hwa-young (played by Seo Ji-hye) confessed to Lee Jae-hyung (played by Kim Ji-hoon) about the truth of a past car accident and why she had to leave him coldly. She urged him to help expose the truth about Lee Dae-ho through an article in Sports Eunseong, as only Wi Jung-shin could stop his brother now.
Lee Dae-ho's dark hand reached Kingsback Entertainment. He removed CEO Hwang (played by Choi Gwi-hwa) from his position for not signing the memorandum of understanding. Im Hyun-joon and CEO Hwang, seeking Wi Jung-shin's help, uncovered the full story of the corruption between Lee Dae-ho and Ha Gi-wan (played by Jo Deok-hyun), including the use of Kingsback Entertainment for illegal money laundering and plans to sell the company to raise funds. Wi Jung-shin and CEO Hwang faced off against thugs stationed in the building while collecting evidence.
Park Byung-ki (played by Jeon Sung-woo) confronted forgotten moments of glory in his studio. Realizing the stark contrast between his past ambition to remain an uncorrupted director and his current life, Park Byung-ki threw all his scripts into the trash, determined to revive his pure creative spirit. Unaware of this, Im Hyun-joon tried to meddle with the script as usual, but the changed Park Byung-ki warned that he wouldn't alter a single word from now on.
Park Byung-ki was already furious over Im Hyun-joon's unauthorized departure. Upon hearing about the office situation from CEO Hwang, Im Hyun-joon once again left the set. Park Byung-ki mobilized the crew to chase him. A brawl erupted between the thugs and the 'Good Detective Kang Pil-gu' team in front of Kingsback Entertainment. Im Hyun-joon, embodying the real 'Kang Pil-gu', impressively subdued a thug attacking Wi Jung-shin with a flying kick. Wi Jung-shin couldn't hide her excitement at Im Hyun-joon's dramatic rescue. Despite the fierce battle, Im Hyun-joon couldn't escape the wrath of the returning 'Mad-Eyed' Park Byung-ki, who dragged him back to the set, where they worked until dawn.
Amidst the chaos, something exciting awaited Im Hyun-joon: his first date with Wi Jung-shin. Arriving at a quiet train station, the two enjoyed the warm sunshine and spent time together, ignoring the gazes of others. Im Hyun-joon shared that the station held memories of his debut as a minor role, recounting his acting journey to Wi Jung-shin. Her words, "Kang Pil-gu is truly special. Isn't it a great fortune that you, Im Hyun-joon, played such a special role?" resonated with him.
After much anticipation, the first broadcast of 'Good Detective Kang Pil-gu Season 5' approached. As a national drama with consistently high ratings each season, all eyes were on the first report card for Season 5. However, the significantly lower response compared to previous seasons led the 'Kang Pil-gu' team to hold a press conference to reignite viewer interest.
The day of the press conference arrived. As Im Hyun-joon and Park Byung-ki answered questions about future developments, the atmosphere shifted dramatically with a scandal question planted by Kwon Se-na (played by Oh Yeon-seo). A reporter began by mentioning rumors of Im Hyun-joon meeting a former lover again, asking if the scandal's protagonist was present. The room's excitement intensified with Im Hyun-joon's bombshell statement.
"It's true that someone I like is here," he confessed, his gaze fixed solely on Wi Jung-shin in the press section. All eyes are on how Im Hyun-joon's surprise public confession will affect their relationship.
Lee So-jung, TenAsia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr