Romance Is a Bonus Book: Does it have a sad ending?

Romance Is a Bonus Book has it all—Noona romance with office drama and Lee Jong-suk starring as the main lead! If you, too, plowed through the whole K-drama looking forward to the final chapter, you may be wondering if it has a happy ending or not.

Most K-dramas try not to end on a sad or disappointing note. So, does Romance Is a Bonus Book follow suit?

Romance Is a Bonus Book ends happily with Dan-i getting a permanent job at Gyeoroo publishing house. It also depicts how Seo-joon makes peace with the condition of his father, Kang, and wraps up the other characters’ stories neatly as well.

Here’s how it all went down:

Dan-i Gets a Permanent Job Offer

One would expect that a K-drama’s perfect ending would be the lead couple having an epic moment. But that moment for Dan-i and Eun-ho was taken care of in the previous episodes, which is why the romance is a bit mellow in the finale. But Dan-i has another big win in store for her!

After incurring the scorn of some of her colleagues, getting pulled into office politics, and having to constantly prove her work, Dan-i finally gets a permanent job offer at Gyeoroo in the marketing department.

While there’ll always be drama in the office, Dan-i sets off to work hard and enjoy this new achievement. She even scouts an author and book she wants to launch and works jointly with her former nemesis, Ji-yool, both burying the hatchet in the process.

As someone who wanted a new chapter in her life, one where she is independent and working in a field she loves, Dan-i’s tale does take a positive turn.

Seo-joon and Author Kang’s Connection Explained

Throughout the series, it has been speculated that Eun-ho is Kang’s son since they share such a close bond. Eun-ho has been doing an investigation of his own and has come to realize that it’s the show’s second lead, Seo-joon, who’s the real son!

He’s not the only one to make the connection. Hae-rin gets her hands on a manuscript with a fake name whose style is very similar to Kang’s. She too deduces that this is written by Seo-joon and he’s the famous author’s son.

So, what transpired after? We learned in the previous episodes that Kang had Alzheimer’s which he didn’t want to disclose to anyone and only wanted to retire as an author with dignity. This decision also means Seo-joon wasn’t aware of the same.

Romance is a Bonus Book | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

While Seo-joon and Kang meet in the earlier years, because of the illness, the latter starts forgetting that he has a son and ceases meeting him. Seo-joon takes this as a sign of his father abandoning him and thinks the best form of “revenge” is writing a book that will overshadow his.

Thankfully in the finale, all of these misunderstandings are cleared, and while Seo-joon is not able to make up with his father still alive, he is eased with the knowledge that Kang truly loved him.

The Happy Ever After 

We have happy endings all around. Initially, Dan-i goes looking for homes, but Eun-ho convinces her to continue living with him. Hae-rin and Seo-joon finally admit their feelings for each other, too. Lastly, after the success of a few commercial books, Dan-i and Ji-yool’s niche book called Inner Thoughts of Plants goes to print as well.

But the most satisfying announcement is that henceforth, Gyeoroo Publishing House will only accept new employees through a blind recruitment process. Hurrah! We see all the main characters content in their personal and professional lives, as a new stream of employees pours in.

In the end, we are left with one last shot of the office and some wishful thinking about returning to Gyeoroo soon.

About Romance is a Bonus Book

Romance is a Bonus Book is a 2019 K-drama created by Studio Dragon for tvN, which was later released on Netflix. 

The noona-office drama focuses on Kang Dan-i, a recently divorced single mother who has to move in with her younger friend Cha Eun-ho after being kicked out of her house. She gets a temporary job at the publishing house he works at, where her professional and romantic woes begin. 

The cast includes Lee Na-young, Lee Jong-suk, Jung Yoo-jin, and Wi Ha-joon.