Lee Hyun Woo and VIXX member Hongbin are developing a compelling, "flower boy" bromance in the KBS2 supernatural teen drama, "Moorim School."
In the fourth episode of the series, Yoon Shi Woo (Lee Hyun Woo) and Wang Chi Ang (Hongbin) are presented with the daunting challenge of obtaining an artifact belonging to their magician-in-training academy, Moorim Institute.
They are forced into the wilds to search for the prized symbol of the institute after several mishaps lead to their possible expulsion.
An unfortunate encounter with a vicious wolf forces the pair to work together, as Shi Woo exercises his burgeoning abilities as a sorcerer while working with Chi Ang, the heir to a Chinese conglomerate, who repeatedly clashed with Shi Woo, on previous occasions.
Shi Woo and Chi Ang entered the venerable halls of the high school as enemies, but slowly begin to develop a co-dependent relationship that has burgeons into a bromance.
Throughout the fourth episode, the unlikely duo exchange glances and are bathed in golden light, as the screenwriter and director take a page out of Japan's shōjo manga or comics marketed to teenaged girls, which sparked the pan-Asian "flower boy" trend.
Shim Soon Duk (Seo Ye Ji) emerges as a heroine in episode four, moving beyond the mystical "Ariel" who is revered by Chi Ang.
Soon Duk is the lone witness to the scandal which engulfed Shi Woo and she steps up to provide a video testimony in his favor.
Her actions prompt their fellow students to provide support for his character, leading Shi Woo to develop a crush on the chicken delivery girl.
"Moorim School" is a quirky series that intersperses entranced wolves with magic wand-wielding high school students, while touching on the seedy economics behind the Korean pop industry.
As the circumstances surrounding the downfall of Shin Woo unfold, viewers are forced to question whether the young K-pop idol is safer on the stage in front of seemingly adoring fans or Moorim, where he encountered kitchen fires and unyielding beasts.
Through its heartwarming "flower boy" scenes, international cast, and compelling plot, "Moorim School" has started to generate stronger ratings, with episode four recording 4.4 percent in nationwide viewership, according to statistics released by Nielsen Korea.
