Playing Ep 01

Summary:

A young, prodigious female chemist in her early twenties finds herself cornered by her family's expectations to find a significant other with an academic pedigree to match her own. Despite her towering intellect and her position as a professor, her parents' traditional views lead them to fix her up with an awkward yet accomplished engineer. In an act of desperation, she asserts that her heart already belongs to another, concocting an imaginary boyfriend to escape the arranged setup.

Elsewhere, a charismatic but frivolous man leads a life basking in the company of attractive companions, until he's publicly jilted, compelling him to seek a new partner to soothe his social and familial standing. The aftermath of the breakup fuels his mother's concern about their family's image among her elite circle.

Both driven by the urgent need to find a partner, they resort to a dating agency known for orchestrating matches based on compatibility. Their surprise comes when the agency pairs them together, imposing an unsought alliance that neither of them initially welcomes. Their mutual discontent forces them to embark on a charade, transforming themselves into ideal versions for each other’s families.

The chemist reinvents herself as a trendy and alluring woman, leaving behind her scholarly persona, while the man adopts the identity of a scholarly achiever. As they navigate this ruse, their pretense leads them through unexpected twists and turns, and they discover an authentic connection that transcends the facades they've created. In time, their feigned personalities give way to genuine affection, as they find themselves enamored not with the illusions, but with the truth behind their masks.