Moon Ga-young opened the 'secret room,' the crystallization of Choi Hyun-wook's fandom worldview.
On the 24th, the broadcast of tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama 'That Guy is a Black Dragon' (directed by Lee Soo-hyun, written by Kim Soo-yeon, produced by Studio N, planned by Studio Dragon) in its third episode showcased Ban Joo-yeon (played by Choi Hyun-wook) stirring excitement as he unconsciously seeped into Baek Soo-jung (played by Moon Ga-young), who completely understands him. As a result, 'That Guy is a Black Dragon' recorded an average rating of 4.6% with a peak of 5.4% among metropolitan households, and an average of 4.5% with a peak of 5.4% nationally, securing the first place in viewer ratings for the same time slot across all channels, including cable and general programming channels. Additionally, the viewership rating among the target audience of tvN, those aged 20 to 49, rose to a peak of 1.8%, achieving the top position among all channels in the same time slot nationwide and in the metropolitan area as well, showing an upward trend. This marked a new record high in all metrics, signaling the official start of the 'Black Dragon magic' in home dramas along with word-of-mouth.
As the renewal project to increase sales at Yongseong Department Store took off, Soo-jung and Joo-yeon displayed fantastic teamwork with perfect coordination. They launched an on-site investigation at Yongseong Department Store, where they encountered a customer who was complaining about the store's operations. The person they thought was a troublesome customer turned out to be the lead vocalist (played by Vincent) of Joo-yeon’s favorite hard rock band, and Joo-yeon, who had to maintain her Deputy Minister's image, found herself flustered, unable to reveal her fan’s feelings. However, noticing this, Soo-jung stepped in for Joo-yeon, taking photos with the idol and even getting a signature on a sunglasses case, bringing a warm smile.
This became a stepping stone for Soo-jung and Joo-yeon to grow closer. As Joo-yeon looked at her favorite's signature and photos with happiness, Soo-jung gazed at her with affection, saying, "I think it’s a precious thing to be able to passionately like something. So feel free to enjoy it. I don’t think there's anything wrong with the Deputy Minister enjoying her hobbies, regardless of what others might think." Joo-yeon felt a subtle emotion for the first time hearing Soo-jung's words, which acknowledged and supported her previously hidden preferences. Joo-yeon replied, "Let’s like it a bit more freely. In front of you," raising the excitement to its peak. Later, Joo-yeon revealed her true feelings by saying, "Just take it. It looked pretty," when it came to the expensive designer dress that Soo-jung had intended to return, heightening expectations for their evolving relationship.
Meanwhile, an incident arose that distanced the two again. A pink capsule toy that Joo-yeon cherished was unexpectedly found in the office. In a panic, thinking it might be her own belonging, Joo-yeon headed straight home and was relieved to discover that the capsule toy did not belong to her. However, within the company, the owner of the capsule toy became a hot potato, and as Soo-jung and the staff whispered about someone who might be raising a child in the office, Joo-yeon felt hurt. During this process, Joo-yeon’s trauma was revealed, adding to the sadness. It was revealed that during her childhood, her parents had a car accident on the way to an animation theater that Joo-yeon insisted on attending. Her grandmother, Jeong Hyo-seon (played by Ban Hyo-jung), had expressed her resentment, saying, "You killed my son because of this useless thing." Feeling betrayed by Soo-jung, whom she had thought understood her completely, Joo-yeon insisted that Soo-jung return the designer dress she had given as a gift, catching her off guard.
At the end of the broadcast, Soo-jung entered Joo-yeon's secret room, raising the tension. While setting up a newly purchased psyche lamp, Joo-yeon faced a malfunctioning outlet, and after thorough investigation to prevent her identity from being discovered, she selected a hardware store for repairs. Although she perfectly transformed her voice to call the repair technician, coincidentally, the store was run by Soo-jung's father, Baek Won-seok (played by Ko Chang-seok). In an unexpected turn of events, Soo-jung went to Joo-yeon's home to cover for Won-seok, who had another engagement. While hiding her body in the parking lot, Joo-yeon communicated with Soo-jung via text messages and was horrified to recognize Soo-jung's face through the CCTV. At that same moment, Soo-jung discovered the signature of Joo-yeon's favorite rock band's vocalist, which she had received for her, raising the tension as she realized the identity of the client was Joo-yeon. The scene captured Soo-jung stepping into Joo-yeon's utopia, which was only supposed to be accessible to Joo-yeon, and Joo-yeon rushing to prevent her, heightening curiosity about future developments.
Meanwhile, Shin Won (played by Kwon Si-yang) and Seo Ha-jin (played by Lim Se-mi) marked the beginning of their romance after an intense pull during their first meeting as boss and customer at a bar. While advising Ha-jin on photos to post for promoting the store, Shin Won’s hand brushed against Ha-jin's, and at that moment, Ha-jin boldly shot her move, asking, "Do you want to sleep with me?" Shin Won responded with a kiss, igniting excitement. This set the stage for a sizzling romance, prompting interest in how it will unfold.
Right after episode three of 'That Guy is a Black Dragon,' comments flooded into social media and various online communities expressing, "It’s getting more interesting with each episode," "Finally a romantic comedy that hits my sweet spot after a long time," "The water fountain scene was really beautiful today," "Moon Ga-young really shines as Baek Soo-jung," "It’s already fun to see Joo-yeon starting to fangirl over Soo-jung," "The voice modulation for the grandfather really cracked me up," "When the human sound came out, I doubted my ears. It was too funny," "Honestly, it feels like the birth of an all-time legendary level character," "Choi Hyun-wook embodies Deputy Minister Ban Joo-yeon perfectly. It’s funny and cute," and more.
tvN's Monday-Tuesday drama 'That Guy is a Black Dragon' is an office romance between Baek Soo-jung, the 'Deputy Minister killer' team leader suffering from a first love that has become a dark history, and Ban Joo-yeon, a 'third-generation chaebol' Deputy Minister living while hiding her fandom persona, Black Dragon. The fourth episode will air today (25th) at 8:50 p.m.