Episode 1 of Business Proposal kicks off this light-hearted romantic comedy with a mix of mistaken identities, hilarious misunderstandings, and charming characters. The episode sets the tone for a fun and entertaining series, blending workplace drama with an unconventional love story.
The Setup:
The episode begins with Shin Ha-ri, a hardworking and cheerful food researcher at GO Food, one of South Korea’s leading food companies. Despite her successful career, Ha-ri struggles with her personal life, especially her perpetual singlehood. Her best friend, Jin Young-seo, the daughter of a wealthy chaebol family, finds herself in a predicament when she’s set up on a blind date by her parents with a prospective business partner. Desperate to avoid the date, Young-seo begs Ha-ri to go in her place and sabotage the meeting by acting completely undesirable.
Ha-ri reluctantly agrees, knowing that her friend often does the same for her. She plans to attend the blind date, create an unappealing impression, and quickly get rid of the man. Ha-ri’s transformation into Young-seo involves an exaggerated makeover, complete with flashy clothes and over-the-top makeup, setting the stage for a disastrous but entertaining encounter.
The Blind Date Disaster:
The story takes an unexpected twist when Ha-ri arrives at the luxurious hotel where the date is set and realizes her date is none other than Kang Tae-moo, the newly appointed CEO of GO Food—her boss! Tae-moo is a brilliant, handsome, and work-obsessed businessman, recently returned from abroad to take over the family business. Unbeknownst to Ha-ri, Tae-moo’s grandfather has been pressuring him to settle down, and Tae-moo, tired of the endless blind dates, has decided that he will marry the next woman he meets, just to get his grandfather off his back.
When Tae-moo and Ha-ri meet, she puts on a wild and exaggerated performance as Young-seo, pretending to be an obnoxious and gold-digging woman, hoping to scare him away. However, Tae-moo, much to Ha-ri’s horror, finds her antics amusing and refreshingly different from his usual dull dates. Rather than being repelled, he’s intrigued by her audacity and decides that she’ll be the perfect fiancée to present to his grandfather.
Office Tensions:
Meanwhile, back at the office, Ha-ri is struggling to keep up with her demanding job while juggling her financial woes, as she supports her struggling family restaurant. She’s constantly on edge, knowing that her new “date” is actually her boss, and she’s terrified of being found out. Her co-worker and longtime crush, Lee Min-woo, remains oblivious to her feelings, adding another layer of frustration to Ha-ri’s complicated life.
As Tae-moo becomes more determined to move forward with the fake engagement, Ha-ri’s anxiety intensifies. She is caught between maintaining her disguise and her real identity at work. This dynamic leads to several comedic moments, especially when Tae-moo unknowingly interacts with Ha-ri in her profe
