Lee Jung-jae Confesses 'Melodrama Master' Identity to Lim Ji-yeon in 'Dearest Love,' Drama Tops Ratings
In the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama 'Dearest Love,' Lee Jung-jae has captured viewers' attention by directly confessing his feelings and his true identity as the 'Melodrama Master' to Lim Ji-yeon.
During the 11th episode aired on the 15th, Im Hyun-jun (played by Lee Jung-jae) revealed the truth about his identity as the 'Melodrama Master' and confessed his genuine feelings to Wi Jeong-shin (played by Lim Ji-yeon). The episode recorded an average viewership rating of 4.7% and a peak of 5.5% in the Seoul metropolitan area, securing the top spot among cable and general programming channels in its timeslot.
Im Hyun-jun openly displayed his affection for Wi Jeong-shin, and with the help of Yoon Hwa-young (played by Seo Ji-hye), they were able to spend time alone together. However, even during this time, he couldn't stop his subtle rivalry towards Lee Jae-hyung (played by Kim Ji-hoon). Meanwhile, Park Byung-gi (played by Jeon Sung-woo) faced a potential encounter with Wi Jeong-shin at a press conference but narrowly avoided it due to falling ill.
Later, Park Byung-gi confessed to Im Hyun-jun the truth that Wi Jeong-shin liked the character 'Kang Pil-gu' he created, not Im Hyun-jun himself. Shocked by this revelation, Im Hyun-jun decided to end their ambiguous relationship by arranging a direct meeting through a secondhand trading app.
On the day of the transaction, Im Hyun-jun appeared before Wi Jeong-shin without a mask and confessed, "You probably don't know what's happening right now? The Melodrama Master was me. Im Hyun-jae is the Melodrama Master, and the Melodrama Master is me. I asked if you liked me back then, right? Yes, I do."
The relationship between Lee Jae-hyung and Yoon Hwa-young also reached a turning point. Wi Jeong-shin advised Lee Jae-hyung to reconsider his feelings for Yoon Hwa-young, and Lee Jae-hyung, concerned about Yoon Hwa-young's panic upon hearing news of their injured son, followed her, hinting at a significant shift in their relationship.
Meanwhile, Wi Jeong-shin, who was pursuing the truth behind a massive corruption case, received an unexpected offer to return to the political desk. Sensing this was a trap set by Lee Dae-ho (played by Kim Jae-chul) to stop her from getting closer to the truth, she firmly rejected the offer. Lee Dae-ho's concluding words, "Deal with that reporter. So there's no more trouble," heightened the tension and raised questions about whether Wi Jeong-shin can successfully reveal the truth to the world.
Netizens reacted enthusiastically, commenting things like, "Actor Lee Jung-jae's acting is amazing," "The drama's immersion is top-notch," and "I'm so curious about the future plot," expressing their anticipation for the next episode.