Nineteen years is a long time to call someone “just a friend.” That is exactly where Wavve’s new BL (boy love) drama Summertime (하절기) begins.
One day before its August 28 premiere, lead actors Seong In-ho and Kim Do-min appeared together in a new D-1 short video, telling viewers they were both nervous and excited to finally reveal the drama they had been preparing.
But the real hook is not simply whether two childhood friends fall in love.
One of them has been hiding his feelings for years. The other already knows and has deliberately pretended not to notice.
19 years of friendship are about to become a problem
Summertime follows Cha Do-hyun, played by Seong In-ho, and Yeo Eun-ho, played by Kim Do-min.
They have been childhood friends for 19 years, so close that being together has become part of everyday life. Except Do-hyun’s feelings stopped being purely friendly a long time ago. Eun-ho knows. Instead of confronting it, however, he chooses to ignore what is happening because acknowledging Do-hyun’s feelings could destroy the relationship they already have.
One of Eun-ho’s character lines captures his fear perfectly:
“I thought we could keep being friends if I pretended not to notice.”
Do-hyun has the opposite problem. He has spent years holding everything in and eventually reaches the point where he cannot do it anymore. His teaser describes the feelings he hid for so long finally exploding at the end of summer.
That gives Summertime a different starting point from the usual “when will they realize they like each other?” romance.
They already know. The question is how long they can keep avoiding it.
Then another guy enters the picture
Naturally, it takes a third person to destroy the balance.
The teasers introduce a new transfer student, played by Lim Young-min, who begins getting closer to Eun-ho. For Do-hyun, seeing the person who has always been beside him suddenly spending time with someone else brings years of hidden jealousy to the surface.
The main teaser even shows Do-hyun bluntly telling the newcomer:
“Don’t butt in. He’s mine.”
And then comes an even more memorable proposal to Eun-ho:
“We’ve been friends for 19 years, so let’s date for 19 years too.”
Not exactly subtle anymore.
Seong In-ho plays the friend who finally stops holding back
Seong In-ho’s Cha Do-hyun is described as someone who may initially appear cold but has quietly remained devoted to one person for years. The character therefore has a noticeable emotional shift built into him. At first, Do-hyun is the dependable childhood friend hiding a one-sided love. Then jealousy enters. Possessiveness follows.
And eventually, he begins directly challenging the boundary that has kept him and Eun-ho safely labeled as “friends.”
That progression is likely to be one of the drama’s biggest attractions: viewers already know the confession is coming, but the tension lies in watching years of restraint gradually disappear.
Kim Do-min’s Eun-ho may actually have the harder choice
Eun-ho’s situation is more complicated. He is not oblivious to Do-hyun. He has simply decided that preserving their friendship is safer than asking what Do-hyun’s feelings mean for both of them.
Kim Do-min described Eun-ho as someone who can appear thoughtless or rough around the edges, but who also has courage and can act decisively once he makes up his mind. It also marks Kim Do-min’s first leading role, adding another reason to watch how the young actor handles a character whose emotional conflict largely comes from what he refuses to say.
Kim recently signed an exclusive contract with Oak Company after working with the production company on Summertime.
It comes from a popular web novel
Summertime is adapted from Iromil’s web novel of the same name, which built a following around its detailed emotional progression and depiction of a relationship changing from adolescence into adulthood.
The drama does not appear interested in rushing that transition. Promotional material repeatedly emphasizes the years the pair have spent together, moving from their school days toward adulthood while using summer itself as part of the atmosphere surrounding their relationship.
Director Bae Yun-seo, who previously directed the BL romance Sweetheart Service, is behind the adaptation.
‘Summertime’ is also part of Wavve’s growing BL lineup
The drama comes from Oak Company, a studio that has been steadily building a catalogue around Korean BL.
Its previous projects include Heart Stain, Ballboy Tactics, Thunderclouds and Rain and Prosecutor’s Office Proposal. Wavve is likewise expanding its BL slate, with Summertime positioned alongside projects including The Sound of Sugar Cubes and Winter Season.
For international BL viewers, however, there is one important question still unanswered: an official overseas streaming platform has not yet been announced in the sources available as of August 27.
In South Korea, the series begins August 28 exclusively on Wavve.
Editor’s insight
Although LGBTQ+ is still a sensitive topic in South Korea, more and more queer representation can be seen in music and especially dramas. BL is mainly very popular in Thailand but for a conservative country such as Korea this concept although still new is gaining huge interest from viewers. Wavve is known for promoting such content with tv shows, movies and dramas and with the recent surge in popularity there seem like are yet many projects to come.