SUGARED ALGAE
Youth is like a half-used box of colored pencils - bursting with intense sweetness at first, only to turn into the bitter taste of regret later on. This story plunges us into a sun-drenched yet storm-ridden world of four friends, each carrying completely contrasting shades of color. There is Yeo Tae-yoon, the platinum-haired, ocean-blue-eyed martial artist with a fierce, competitive aura - a clever, witty "bad boy" who is nonetheless incredibly reliable. There is Goo Ryeo-won, his childhood best friend with big, round brown eyes - a timid, cute girl who has always viewed him as her entire world. There is Eom Mae-rin, a sharp, feisty, and highly principled girl who is straightforward, kind-hearted, and possesses a very unique sense of humor. And finally, Tak Hwan-hee, the calm, sensitive friend who always plays the role of a quiet referee, maintaining the balance for the whole group.
They all thought those days would only be filled with laughter, hilarious, chaotic antics, and the brainless, playful pranks of best friends. However, the sweet world of childhood cannot last forever once the first stirrings of love appear, dragging silent cracks into their friendship. Standing before the fragile boundary between friendship and love, the selfishness and jealousy of youth begin to flare up, pushing the four of them into a whirlpool of misunderstandings and piling heartbreaks. Behind the carefree laughter echoing across the school hallways, each of them will have to face painful hidden corners, self-taught lessons to grow up, and the heavy price to pay for their own misconceptions.
Who is truly the one on the same wavelength to walk through the storms, heal each other, and make it to the very end of those youth years?