Yeo Ui-ju is a high school sophomore at Murim High who lives a double life: student by day, BL (Boy’s Love) writer by night. While struggling as an unknown author and fighting the loneliness of having no readers, she encounters four handsome teachers: Ga Woo-su, No Da-ju, Jeong Gi-jeon, and Yoon Dong-ju.
Among the friendly and delicate teachers, her homeroom teacher happens to be the cold and blunt math teacher, Ga Woo-su. One day, Woo-su discovers Ui-ju’s secret BL novels. The bigger problem? The protagonists are based on the four handsome teachers! Furious that he’s been cast in a BL world he knows nothing about, Woo-su confronts her.
“Why on earth am I not the main character?”
Released last month, the Coupang Play original series ‘Absolute Value of Romance’ is a teen comedy about the chaotic school life of a secret BL writer who uses her handsome teachers as inspiration. While BL is a central theme, the story ultimately focuses on the growth of youth chasing their dreams.
We met Kim Hyang-gi, who plays Yeo Ui-ju, and Cha Hak-yeon, who plays Ga Woo-su, at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 11th. Their “oil and water” chemistry between the passionate student and the dry math teacher has been a hit with viewers.
“I’m glad many people are enjoying it and saying it makes them chuckle,” Kim Hyang-gi shared.
With 20 years of acting experience, Kim Hyang-gi tried the comedy genre for the first time with this project, drawn by curiosity. Through Ui-ju, who balances being a student and a writer, she naturally portrayed the unpredictable laughter born from youthful passion. “I found out that if you try too hard to be funny, it’s actually not funny,” she noted, discovering the truth of comedy in just one project.
“Since I had almost no experience with comedy, I enjoyed the fact that there was so much to learn. I thought that if a friend with their own dream at that age naturally reveals it without trying to hide it perfectly, that in itself would be funny.”
Cha Hak-yeon previously appeared in a BL-themed work in the Tving original ‘Killer Next Door,’ but he explained that ‘Absolute Value of Romance’ is different from traditional BL.
“Rather than BL, this work is closer to a teen comedy and a growth story about a student writing romance novels. While playing Ga Woo-su, I think I focused on the growth of the student, Ui-ju.”
The passionate Ui-ju and the ice-cold Woo-su are polar opposites. Even when Ui-ju apologizes or begs for mercy after being caught, Woo-su remains unfazed and delivers sharp remarks. They are definitely not your average teacher and student.
Cha Hak-yeon said, “I started acting with the idea that Ga Woo-su is like a ‘steel wall.’ The director told me it was okay to look like a villain until episode 4.” He added, “I wanted him to seem like someone who wouldn’t be easily shaken or influenced by anything Ui-ju said.”
On the other hand, Kim Hyang-gi sees Ui-ju as someone incredibly honest with her emotions. “Ui-ju keeps her BL writing a secret, but she doesn’t stop because it’s something she loves,” Kim said. “She’s a friend who is very honest about her dreams, which makes her character even funnier.”
The series uses a “play-within-a-play” structure, showing both reality and the stories in Ui-ju’s novels. Just as Ui-ju is a secret writer, Cha Hak-yeon plays a dual role, switching between the real-life Ga Woo-su and the novel’s protagonist, Sion.
While Ga Woo-su is a cold-hearted man in reality, Sion in the novel is over-the-top in everything from makeup to acting. The spectrum of the play-within-a-play reaches its peak in a “reenactment” featuring the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras (played by Cha Hak-yeon) and his student Hippasus (played by Kim Hyang-gi).
“When else would I get to wear a wig and act like that? The filming set itself was so much fun. There were so many funny points, starting with the visual appearance, so I always enjoyed it,” Kim Hyang-gi said.
“I acted with everything open for the novel scenes. The director wanted a stronger impact within the play-within-a-play. I even wondered, ‘Is it okay to go this far?’ It wasn’t easy to hold back laughter on set,” Cha Hak-yeon added.
Another charm of ‘Absolute Value of Romance’ is the freshness of youth. It’s a meaningful work for the actors as it brings back emotions from a time of many dreams and worries.
Cha Hak-yeon said, “I felt a lot of youth while watching the students during filming. Looking back, I realized there were so many joyful moments I didn’t notice at the time.” He added, “I hope viewers can feel that ‘those were the days’ emotion while watching scenes of students running to the cafeteria during lunch.”
Though they met as teacher and student, the two are moving forward at their own pace as actors. Despite the difference in experience and age, their goal is the same: to meet audiences and viewers for a long time through great works and characters.
“I feel like I’m in an ambiguous period, not quite an adult but not a child either. That’s why it’s an even more important time. In that sense, I think I met a great project at the right time. It was an opportunity to accept and show something new. I want to be an actor who continues to act steadily for a long time,” Kim Hyang-gi shared.
“While preparing for ‘Absolute Value of Romance,’ I felt a lot of pressure and it was difficult, but once filming started, it was really fun. I think I actually gained a lot of energy while filming this project. I will strive to be an actor who consistently shows good works and characters in the future,” Cha Hak-yeon concluded.
