Yep, you heard us right. If you want to live like a K-drama character and fall in love while you’re at it, you’d best be taking the bus.
We know, it sounds like one of those weird pieces of drama logic that don’t make sense in real life. Buses are always late, crowded and, weird-smelling. It’s not exactly romantic to find out you just sat on chewing gum. But maybe K-drama characters are onto something. When you travel by bus, you’re forced to get up close and personal with the people around you. It’s a chance to make new connections in ways you never imagined.
Next time you’re riding the bus, remember these iconic K-drama bus scenes and let them give you courage. Maybe today’s the day you’ll say hi to that beautiful stranger on your commute, or maybe it’s finally time to confess to the friend who always shares your seat.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
1. “While You Were Sleeping”
Have you ever fallen asleep on the bus, missed your stop, and been horribly late? It happens to the best of us, and it would have happened to Jae Chan (Lee Jong Suk) too, if not for Hong Joo (Suzy). She sees his future in a dream and decides to change it for him by following him on his way to work. Not only does Hong Joo let Jae Chan sleep on her shoulder, but she also adorably shields his eyes from the sun before waking him right on time. Who needs an alarm clock when a super-powered sweetheart like Suzy comes to your rescue?
2. “Reply 1988”
Jung Hwan (Ryu Jun Yeol) and Duk Sun (Hyeri) have their fair share of sweet bus rides together in “Reply 1988,” but this moment is one of our favorites. Tired of seeing Duk Sun get thrown around the bus (and into the arms of leering boys), Jung Hwan decides enough is enough. He oh-so-casually frames his arms around her, cocooning her from the bumps in the road and avoiding eye-contact when she gives him a questioning look. If actions speak louder than words, then we’ve never heard anyone yell so loudly about a crush. If it was us, we’d want to marry him on the spot *sigh* #TeamJungPal.
3. “My ID Is Gangnam Beauty”
Mi Rae (Im Soo Hyang) and Kyung Suk (Cha Eun Woo) spend a lot of time falling in love on the bus. It’s where they have some of their big relationship talks and it’s where they secretly hold hands, away from prying eyes on campus. Their best bus scene, though, is their last bus scene. This is a moment when Mi Rae finally doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. She and her beautiful boyfriend are unapologetically together for the whole world to see. You realize how much she’s changed when she lets herself lean on his shoulder and lets him lean on her too.
4. “Just Between Lovers”
This bus scene arrives at a time when Moon Soo (Won Jin Ah) and Kang Doo (Junho) haven’t even admitted their feelings to themselves, let alone to each other. But as the scene unfolds, they give themselves away completely – at least, to those of us alone at home “uwuing” in front of our laptops. Kang Doo grabs Moon Soo’s hand and runs with her so she can catch the last bus. As she boards, she keeps running past the windows to the back of the bus, just so she can look at him for a few seconds longer. He stands on the street and watches her go, as the world around them melts away into a pile of feels.
5. “Dream High”
Suzy’s second appearance on this list is from way back when she was a tiny baby idol-actor. Fun fact: this bus scene-turned-kiss scene was one of the first kisses she ever had! It comes at the very end of the drama, as her character Hye Mi sees off Sam Dong (Kim Soo Hyun) as he leaves for New York, maybe for good. Last time, it was Sam Dong who chased down Hye Mi’s bus as she left, but this time it’s Hye Mi’s turn to chase her boy down. She catches up with the bus at a traffic light, and Sam Dong rolls his window down for the saddest, sweetest parting smooch you ever did see. Come back Sam Dong, don’t leave us Hye Mi!
6. “The Smile Has Left Your Eyes”
The bus is a great place for secret dates. If you get caught in the act, you can always pretend you just happened to bump into each other. Jin Kang (Jung So Min) almost misses her bus date with Moo Young (Seo In Guk) thanks to an annoying coworker who keeps threatening to travel with her (just take the damn subway gurl!). But, phew, she makes it in the end, and the lovebirds get to sit next to each other. They cutely tease each other and bask in the simple joy of just being together. It’s a rare moment of sunshine in a drama full of darkness, so why don’t we just pretend this was their happy ending and they rode off into the sunset? *Covers ears* la-la-la we can’t hear you!
7. “Healer”
In this adorable moment, Dramaland’s coolest, most elusive hero turns into that clingy boyfriend who just won’t leave you alone. We can’t say we blame Jung Hoo (Ji Chang Wook). After all, his new girlfriend Young Shin (Park Min Young) just spent the last couple of days spoon-feeding him like the lost baby bird he truly is. After a lifetime of being abandoned by the people closest to him, Jung Hoo finally finds someone who won’t leave him, even though he tries to push her away. It’s no wonder that once he knows she’ll stick around, he sticks to her like glue, even following her onto the bus when she’s trying to leave for work.
8. “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon”
Sometimes a late-night bus ride gives you the perfect opportunity to get deep and become closer. That’s where Bong Soon (Park Bo Young) and Min Hyuk (Park Hyung Sik) find themselves after a long day of corporate plotting and amusement park thrills. Poor Min Hyuk has just been betrayed by the brother he loved, and Bong Soon spent the whole day trying to cheer him up. In typical Bong Bong/Min Min fashion, they bicker a little and tease each other a lot, but it ends with a pinky promise to never be sad alone. It’s a low-key moment but it feels pivotal. Before they got on the bus, they were friends and coworkers. But now they’re heading into true love territory, and this bus ain’t turning back any time soon.
Which K-drama bus scene do you wish would happen to you? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Soompi