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Lovely Runner: Episodes 11-12

We’re way past liking and headed into the realm of true love now that our campus couple is officially dating. But there’s a time bomb ticking every step of the way as our desperate-for-each-other leads face the fact that their moments together have a deadline. As they fight to keep close, their parents, the serial killer, and even our heroine’s so-called selflessness strain to pull them from each other’s grasp.

 
EPISODES 11-12

We left off last week with Sun-jae’s agonizing plea for Sol to stop running away from him and pursue her feelings. He’ll deal with the consequences — he just doesn’t want to waste their precious time together. From the outset, I feel like this has been the major discrepancy in dispositions between our leads. Sol is willing to sacrifice the now to achieve the outcome she wants. And Sun-jae is all about the process of getting there. (I can’t help but remember the photo booth scene where he just wanted to be in that booth with her, and all she wanted was the picture.)

And there’s no better way to put the pressure on and test our leads’ core values than to have a literal clock counting down the seconds until they’re ripped from each other’s arms. Now that Sun-jae knows about the time travel, the show can keep that clock in eyesight for the entirety of these episodes, upping the stakes and lowering the inhibitions. Which means: if feelings were sky-high before, they’re bursting out the universal seams by now.

Once they’re done kissing under the streetlight (with Mom accidentally seeing — but not knowing her daughter is the lucky lady), our OTP moves on to multiple encounters where handholding is totally requisite. There’s the café, where Sun-jae takes Sol’s hand and tells her not to worry, he’ll be waiting for her in 2023. And then there’s the next morning when Sun-jae walks Sol to campus, clasping hands the entire trek — only to hold her hand under the desk in the lecture all. As it turns out, he doesn’t even have class that day! Haha. He just can’t get enough of her company.

On one of their dates, cherry blossom petals fall all around them and Sol says that if you catch one, your wish will come true. Sun-jae takes her hands in his and together they catch a petal and then close their eyes and make their wishes. We’ll come to learn that they both wished for the same thing (for each other’s happiness together), but in the moment, Sun-jae just says he already got his wish and then kisses her cheek — before a bunch more kissy face occurs.

With nowhere else to go after their date, they watch a video of the sea at Sol’s family’s video rental shop and promise to go to the ocean together before Sol transports back. They both understand that when Young Sol returns, these two minds will have to wait fifteen years to see each other again. By now, the bond that’s forming between them is obvious (and they’re ready for kisses at all times).

When they fall asleep on the couch of the shop, a morning mishap leads Sol to accidentally tear Sun-jae’s shirt — leaving him half bare-chested when Mom and Geum come in. The laugh-out-loud antics that ensue end with both their parents forbidding them to see each other, as they’re dragged in opposite directions. Luckily, after a series of explanations, their parents change their minds and decide that maybe their kids aren’t a couple of pervs after all. So, yay! Back to dating.

In a change of role, our second male lead is still hanging around, but now he’s mostly there to model clothes and act as Sol’s eyes and ears at the police department while his dad stays hot on the killer’s trail. But, in a very welcome turn, Tae-sung is also slowly becoming friends with Sun-jae.

Sun-jae is feeling left out of the loop when he overhears part of the conversation between Sol and Tae-sung, and so, he takes Tae-sung for drinks to get the goods out of him. At first, Tae-sung is all, “Ask your girlfriend” – which may sound obstinate but it’s also him being a true friend to Sol, who wants to keep the killer a secret from Sun-jae. But, in the drunkenness that follows, Tae-sung lets the killer’s name slip and Sun-jae later figures out the scoop on his own.

Before that though, Sun-jae and Tae-sung wake from their drunken debauchery to find themselves in the same bed, all cuddled up together. Sun-jae is grossed out — leaping out of the bed — and Tae-sung just looks up at him all smiles, “Good morning.” LOL. This is so in character for both of them. And God I love them both so much. Tae-sung continues, “We’re best friends now.” (I’m dying.)

In the interim, the police catch the crazy cabbie and give Sol a holler to let her know that things are fine. She can relax now. But of course, the guy escapes from the backseat of the cruiser, leaving all three cops, including Tae-sung’s dad, in the hospital. As luck would have it, Tae-sung’s dad will be fine, but it means the killer is still on the loose — and Sol thinks everything is on the up and up.

To circle back on the Eclipse story from last week. When Sol learns that In-hyuk and the guys did well at the audition without Sun-jae, she’s upset and tries to drag Sun-jae to the next audition. She knows he’s happy singing, and she’s worried that if she changed the future so he’s not in the group, she may have stolen his joy.

In the end, when Eclipse gives what might be their final performance, Sun-jae is on stage with them, singing the song that he wrote for Sol. She’s in the audience teary with happiness because everything is coming together now. After the show, Sun-jae gets a business card from an agency exec that wants to sign Eclipse and it seems he’s back on the idol track like he should be.

Now that Sun-jae knows about the killer (even though he’s not supposed to and he’s hiding it from Sol that he does), he becomes preoccupied with protecting her. This is of course antithetical to Sol’s preoccupation, which is to have Sun-jae stop protecting her. She still believes that if he doesn’t save her at the construction site, the killer won’t hold a grudge, and then Sun-jae will be alive in 2023.

But there’s something brewing underneath. Sol and Sun-jae have a conversation about unavoidable fates, where this line appears: “There are choices you make, even though you know the consequences, because you like it.” At the time, they’re talking about Sol’s friend’s choice to date Geum, even though Sol tried to dissuade her. She had a chance to change her fate, but she chose not to.

I can’t help but think, though, that this is really about Sun-jae. Now that he knows the outcome, he can choose to keep his fate by saving Sol no matter what. In an ironic twist, everything Sol is doing to get him out of his fate is actually leading him there.

When Sol, Sun-jae, and Tae-sung go to find In-hyuk in his countryside hometown, this becomes even more apparent. They see the ocean as planned (when Tae-sung’s car rolls into it, leaving them stranded in the sticks), and wind up alone in the woods while looking for Sol’s lost phone. The whole time they wander the woods, Sol is having flashbacks to things that never happened in the timeline she knows. She realizes that the future has changed and the killer will now come for her in this town, and in these very woods. To make matters worse, in her visions, Sun-jae is still there to save her when it happens.

Now the two are head to head in trying to out-protect each other. That night, when they’re left alone in In-hyuk’s house, Sun-jae makes up every excuse he can to sleep in the same room with Sol so that he can protect her from any murderous cab drivers that might appear (I mean, I’m sure there’s a double motive). Sol thinks it’s cute that he’s trying to stay with her and asks why he doesn’t just say he wants to be together — although, she’ll say no to him anyway. But he won’t take no for an answer and builds a divider on the floor with pillows. He tells her to stay on her half of the room because “what’s on my side of the line is mine” (me-ow).

Later, when she thinks he’s sleeping, her arm crosses the pillows to touch his face. He’s not sleeping — and now her arm belongs to him. It’s a little problematic to just keep one arm, though, so he tosses the dividers away and pulls Sol into him: “All of you should be mine.” (*covers mouth with both hands*)

They’re lying all hugged up and happy when Sol tells him not to be sad if today turns out to be her last day. She kisses him and says she likes him — and she wanted to make sure he knows that before she transports back to her own time. He kisses her again and responds that he loves her. And the way he rolls himself over her for the next kiss tells me they might be sealing their love with more than a lip lock.

On the train home the next day, Sol suddenly doesn’t know why she’s with Sun-jae and it appears that Young Sol has made her grand reappearance. She runs away from him and off the train and he’s left crying alone. But when we see her on the platform, it’s clear that Adult Sol is still in effect, she’s just made the choice to lose Sun-jae in order to “protect” him. (This is the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s crazy in love, they just slept together, and now she’s disappearing on him.)

We end with the killer arriving to the town on the hunt for Sol. The thing is, in the flashback/premonition we see of the killer coming into the woods to attack her, Sun-jae is running over to save her — and he’s got on the same clothes he’s wearing on the train. So, something tells me he’s getting off that train to follow her. He’s not stupid. And we know he won’t back down — he’ll choose the same fated path.

Hmm, I’m a little worried about Sol’s growth or lack thereof so far. We have another four episodes, so maybe I’m jumping the gun, but I can see how this story could go downhill from here, just as clearly as I can see how it could be a K-drama classic. Sun-jae still feels like an authentic character emotionally, but Sol is feeling more and more scripted in order to ramp up the melodrama.

My favorite part of this tale has always been their very human and relatable miscommunications (their flaws, essentially) and Sol is starting to show signs of a stereotypical savior (a little too perfect in her intentions). Are we supposed to root for that? For her to save the day on her own? Or should we root for her character growth — which would be for her to do just what Sun-jae asked of her: to stop running away from him. We’ve seen how much he’s blossomed and changed, and I hope that the drama will use the sincere buildup of their relationship to leave our heroine with the same kind of sendoff. At this point, I still trust that it will.

No matter what, this drama continues to wow me each week and I love the deep themes it’s never afraid to tackle. These episodes are all about endings. Wanting to enjoy the limited time you have with someone. And taking each moment for what it is: maybe the last. It’s a good reminder for all of us to do the same, especially if we’re not lucky enough to travel through time to get it right.

 
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I also not a fan of noble idiot sacrifice storyline. Having 16 eps will have a good side as well as the bad side (expecting more fillers 🙄). Not truly interested with the killer plot, but let see if the writernim can put any sense on entire script.
I break my pledge to not watch on-going drama as I do not want to wait each week, but this drama is squeeeeeeeeee so much!

Please please please have a better ending... I don't really mind a powerful sad ending as long as the arc of the story truly stays authentic and charming, just like entire 12 eps here 😊

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I think that this noble idocy is an exception. Her sole goal in life is to save his life. He is adamant to sacrifice it for her. Her visions are her only guide. It's an emotional decision.

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Also the ever changing visions based on new interactions in the past / present leave her with no option but to fly by the pants. However, she's involved the police and taking whatever precautions that she can. Meanwhile only thing in this scenario she's sure about is that he HAS to save Sun-Jae and that this is her last chance.

So yes, I'm with Minnie on this being an exception.

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I agree too..her pov is understandable even though these two episodes did let me down a bit.

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It’s been a long time since a drama gave me all the feels. I love them. With all my heart ❤️

Not a fan of the noble idiocy here of course, but I understand where she is coming from. I just love them together and I hope they get together really soon. Imagine having a girlfriend you are head over heels in love with who may forget you anyday now! That’s not a way to live! Poor SunJae. Someone catch this psycho guy soon please!

Also how unproblematic is the second lead? Cute!

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I watched Geon Hee in many drama but he only have super small part. I believe this is his first time as 2nd male lead. His adorkable 😁 and when he is trying to be pose while reminiscing Sunny was hilarious 😂

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Poise, not pose 🤦🏻‍♀️(blame the fat fingers of mine)

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I hope he gets more recognition from this drama and perhaps bigger roles. He's sure easy on the eyes. 😊

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The lovely and wise Thomas in Missing: The Other Side!
I'm so glad he has a bigger part in this drama!
Something that I don't understand: in her 2nd return to the past, we saw Tae Song briefly in front of the building where she lived. And then nothing happened involving him in that timeline. So what was the deal?

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The best second male lead ever! He is cool, mature, caring and absolutely secure about himself. He sure is a wonderful male lead in his story.

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Love him!

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Episode 11 started off cute to me. I kept thinking "this lovestruck dummy" haha and then I wondered if I was finally getting on the Lovely Runner hype train but the answer is a resounding NOPE! Just as it's always been to me, it has its cute and/or second hand embarrassment moments that amuse me and it has its moments that are just cringey and makes me go "why? Just why?"

I feel like episode 12 was just all the cringe and contrivance needed and I'm not sure if it was PPL or just a waste of money to get a cute car only to have it roll in to water and be destroyed. That actually hurt me haha. I was like oh my god, the money spent on that. It was BRAND FREAKING NEW! (I know I might come off as money obsessed but I just can't stand wasted money).

I think the way Tae Sung is used in story is weird. It's like sometimes they remember he's apart of the world and other times they don't; like was it even mentioned why he was no longer apart of the band? I get that people can come & go (it is just a high school band at the moment) but at least a mention why he was there one day and gone the next. Even the "flaky" lead singer was shown to not be fully invested in the band and it was more of a hobby for him.

I learned that apparently one of the names for condoms is weenie and man, that is so not cute haha. I think it's even more embarassing referring to them that way.

I'm not a fan of Sol's decision making. Why would she set herself to be a victim like this? If you get a heads up memory change, don't go TO the danger. All to potentially save him.

I thought this before but it's moments like these when I'm reminded of the movie The Butterfly Effect cause the end result is just "they should've never met/been involved in each other's lives". That's how Sol keep acting to me; like just her presence in his life ruins it somehow.

Also episode 12 made me think how it really felt like this story didn't need a serial killer. I'm almost certain a bunch of these same beats could've occured without the terminator determination of the serial killer. He seriously couldn't just find another victim? All this just because she's the one that got away? (Granted, there may be some truth in television with that; serial killers *do* have a type and they *can* become obsessed and fixated)

I miss the show when it was about a fangirl trying to save her idol. I miss the subtle comments on fandom culture and its dangers or dark sides (saesangs, the toxic fans demands)

This show seems like a "the parts are better than the whole" situation

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If they really needed a killer they should have made me more invested in his motivations. Or had a series of events leading up to the killing so we could have had more characters/events leading up to the killer/killing and would be more interesting to see Sol try to change the events.
Right now it’s just one shot of the killer walking every episode!!

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@Britney, I agree with your second to the last paragraph. I enjoy the drama but noticed that it followed the familiar "fate" trope and is nothing like what we all thought it would be. The moment the suicide part changed to murder, I knew the story was different. I actually am enjoying the drama but I miss the drama it could've been.

While I actually do love this drama, I'm tired of the fate narrative. The romance slaps but I hope Kdrama writers give us more dramas that show why a FL or ML is actually worth being hung up on for months or years.

Again, I love this drama and the actors and actresses are doing a terrific job.

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Thank you! I too was p.o. about Sunny's unnecessary tragic end! Like, why?!

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All from Tae Sung's hard earned money. 😥 I kept on thinking they will be able to salvage it once the tide recedes.

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I really don't understand her way of thinking (well, the writer's). She has a flashback that something will happen on that hill, so what does she do? She remains in that exact same place, while feigning amnesia in front of Sun Jae.
I can't understand why she just remained there, instead of taking another train to Seoul or instead of going to In Hyuk's parents' house. "I missed the train, can I stay here till tomorrow?"
Also the fact that, when she returned to the past and went to the police to report the abduction six months before, she didn't think to inform her mom about what had happened and about the serial killer who was stalking her. She could have had a bigger support network, had she talked to the people close to her.

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Sol's decision to stay makes no sense whatsoever, hopefully the writer/director can explain her decision satisfactorily. Stereotypical savior/noble idiocy in kdrama is immersion breaking and this drama has done such a wonderful job immersing us in the story and characters

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First of all let me say I love Teasang..He was the mvp for me in these two episodes..I love the romance so much too.. it's the perfect chemistry between them. These episodes were a filler ones but I don't mind them..I don't complain when they use fillers for 16 episodes dramas..it's okay for me as long as I love the characters and don't mind seeing them. Not a fan of serial killer plot but it's actually better than a nonsensical one dimensional villian stories.. No drama will be completely perfect and as long as majority of it delivered it can be considered as a good one, as long as they don't completely ruin the ending * cough * GOT * and marry my husband 😉

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I also prefer this way of including a serial killer storyline. If we HAVE to have one (and it seems in kdramaland we always do), better to have them on the sidelines, never speak, and just show up for 2 mins per episode. The alternative is Queen of Tears, where you have to watch them for the majority of the episode and their backstory/motivation is not compelling.

This way preserves screentime for the leads - who we actually care about - but lets the writer inject tension into the story.

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Yes as every kdrama needs a killer storyline to continue ( it really seems that way😂)the story it's better with a serial killer but if you want a villian I would prefer a villian with some characteristics like in crash course in romance or doctor slump ,and keep them in background allowing screen time for leads. I think in these type of dramas it's better not to focus on the storyline part too much, just enjoy the leads and their talks if overall they're doing better.

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yup. bc real life villains aren´t all evil as much as they are ANNOYING AF & wasting ur time.

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Real life villians whom I've seen just want to steal our money or wealth that's what I've seen so far😭😭😭

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Real life villians whom I've seen just want to steal our money or wealth that's what I've seen so far

LOL!! This cracks me up 😂😂😂😂😂
Plus they generally don't like it when you are happy or successful 😂😂😂

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@minniegupta1
Absolutely yes 😂😂..How can I forget that..

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@seeker
Yeah those people exist and I just ignore them now.🧡

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@skiee I'm always reminded of Howard Roark's reply to what he thought about someone - "But I don't think of you"!! 😂👏

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Therefore the best *revenge* against RL villains is to live a happy, successful life!! 😂

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I wish i could do that😭😭😭.. idk why i just fall into deep pitfalls maybe because they're doing some black magic😂😂😂

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@skiee Not necessarily black magic but yes we do seem to struggle a lot against *some people*. It can be demoralizing and frustrating but the only way out is to try and plough ahead one day at a time.

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^^ Serial killers deserve minimal screen time if at all. I don't know who came up with this idea and why it became so popular but fine please give us lots of OTP time. 😊😍

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It's in every kdrama istg🤷🤷

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Serial killer, toxic parents / boss / teachers are the worst of the worst tropes.

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Episode 11 will be my instant pick-me-up. It's chock-full of fluffy moments that make one go Awww!! These filler moments are actually memorable and give more depth to the characters. I so hope there's a way whereby Sol doesn't forget these sweet memories - for I surely won't. 😂

Hoping for a wrap on the cabbie killer and HEA pretty please.

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I loved that this show is still holding on the squee and humor close to the end, but I am a little wary about next week's episodes.
We've been shown how determined Sol is that Sun Jae survive and the lengths she'll go to to ensure that, so I didn't understand how she didn't realise that she could've avoided the whole cliff confrontation just by leaving town like they already were. That was the first time in the show so far that I felt like the writers may be dragging things on intentionally. I don't see how another week of the killer chasing and nearly capturing Sol and Sol foreseeing this and trying to avoid it but failing contributes anything more to the plot currently that we don't already know.
I hope this sub-plot ends next week even though there will be two more episodes. There's a lot more they could mine from the time travel shenanigans even without it.

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Exactly! Why stay in town when you can leave and avoid the killer. The police where already staking out the place she told them about, and now she's alone with the killer?! I don't get it and I don't like it either.

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💯 I'm 😱 so scared for next week. They are highly likely to mess it up. Agreed a lot more "time travel shenanigans" can be used instead of killer cabbie. Just hope next week they haul him back to jail successfully.

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This drama started to run in circles, a lot of beach et wood scenes that could have been limited.

I don't like how the rules changed, she can talk about time travel, she saw things...

It's frustrating they both keep things for them and don't try to get the killer together. Sol is doing the same mistake again and again. I understand she went in the past to save Sun-Jae and she's very dedicated to it. But nobody told her she must save him alone...

Sun-Jae (and Byun Woo-Seok) got a lot of love because this character is not really developped outside Sol anymore. We don't really see him doing things when he was a swimmer, he still had his own life but now everything is about her. The same for Sol, but she still has her "mission".

I love Tae-Sung! He's really a good friend and he's so funny. I really like his interactions with Sol because I think we can see the 34 years old Sol when she's with Sun-Jae, I'm not sure which Sol we have.

But the couple is still super cute!

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“Lovely Runner In Circles.” 😂

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😂

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Thanks, @dramaddictally! I'm glad you're still watching the show that's playing in my head - the one where prolonged, pointless toilet hijinks don't exist and Geum and Sol's bestie barely get a mention.

I've been worried about Sol's lack of growth all along. She focuses on recalling the mechanics of the attacks on her and SJ so she can change those very specific circumstances, but doesn't seem to gain any broader understanding or experience of life, let alone critical thinking ability. And I repeat the criticism I made last week: having one lead who exists only for the benefit of the other is a waste of a character. She's becoming a single-minded wind-up toy more than a fully-fleshed-out person. KHY is wonderful, of course, but she's being given less and less to work with.

That said, the intimate scenes with just the two leads are still fire and I loved the developing three-way friendship of the guys. I'd love to see the team put their heads together instead of running into the woods alone.

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OK, one more thing I love: the way SJ's first instinct every time someone sees them is to cover Sol up (with a blanket, jacket, whatever is at hand) and pull her in close. I'm not usually a fan of an outrageous height difference between ML and FL, but they're using it to great comic effect in those moments.

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to quote: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." I agree with you and hope that Sol realises that she may need to live in the moment and not in the past/future in order to shake things up.

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Sometimes I feel that the show just wants to haphazardly throw the characters together to create some romantic, comedic, or suspenseful situations, but since the setup and reactions to it are so contrived, the characters start to seem less and less like real people. Sol runs around trying to save SJ, often without knowing exactly what she's saving him from or who he really is. Similarly, he had a crush on her, but he didn't actually know her. Now they're willing to die for each other, and they're confident that 15 years of separation for one of them and a split second for the other will take no toll on their relationship, because neither of them has ever actually been in a real relationship. Rather than deal with the tricky stuff, the creators have him catch her when she falls, carry her when she's drunk, and watch her sleep a bunch of times, and it's happily ever after in true K-drama fashion.

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(Repeat comment because the system ate up my previous one)

I get Sol. She did her best to prevent herself from encountering the killer again, but her efforts failed. The police lost him, and now the place of their second encounter has changed. She's come to realize that whatever she does, he'll follow her and attack her. It's inevitable at this point. So staying on the island and facing him while her premonition is still accurate and she (future Sol) is still in control of the body is a less sucky option than avoiding him for the rest of her stay and then leaving young Sol to deal with it. I would've curled up in despair because it all just seems so futile. I do hope (and think) she called the cops to assist her, even if they fumbled big time.

I can also see why she feels she has to drive Sunjae away. This is her last timeslip and her last chance to save him. She saw him dead/on the brink of death twice. Even if she's accepted that she can't avoid meeting the killer again anymore, she feels that at least she can save Sunjae from it. Once she leaves, she has no control over how the next 14 years would play out. I can see why she would feel like her best shot at saving him is to ensure that he never meets the killer altogether.

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I understand how Sol might feel their confrontation was inevitable and try to control it, but that's even more reason that this choice to stay behind was a bad idea. She's seen repeatedly that events do occur the way they're supposed to but the outcome can change - the fire in her house still happened, but her mom didn't burn her hand; Seon Jae chose the Phys Ed department, but the band still got a chance to make a record deal - so there's no reason why they couldn't leave the village and then still have the encounter the way it happened in the second timeline. In fact, since she had warned the cops to look out, she'd be more in control of that situation that this one. This decision to stay just looks like a bad writing choice.

Plus, if they absolutely had to have the confrontation happen on the cliff, they could have made it so much more natural if they leaned into their own rule that things happen as they're meant to. Instead of Sol actively choosing to stay, they could have made it so none of them could leave: the train broke down, one of In Hyuk's parents fell ill, they found out they could get Sunny back so they decided to stay one more day. It's not that difficult, and it would have fit the writing and rules much better. It makes Sol's behaviour inconsistent and it disrupts the internal logic of the time travelling, which I think they've avoided well so far.

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Totally agree, she's never seen the future in this way before, just flashes of the past as it's changed in the timeline she's currently in. I guess you could argue that future 34 year-old Sol is remembering the past that is now in place for young Sol, but that seems to be changing the rules and inconsistent with the show up till now. Such better writing opportunities here sacrificed for stereotypical drama beats...it's disappointing.

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Finished episode 11 and will watch 12 as I'm writing this. I'm not a fan of the serial killer plot. I think it's useless and is forcing a different type of entertainment that this series didn't need. But I strongly adore everything else about Lovely Runner. When they focus on Sol's fangirl quirkiness and how it ties into the special bond she shares with Sunjae, it's my favorite part of the episode. Sol is a gem. Sunjae is rare like a full solar eclipse. I wish we could enjoy the sweet moments between them and their loved ones instead of this "will the killer get to our leads and ruin their future? find out!" plotline. I get very irritated when we see things like an apprehended villain magically defeating 3 armed policemen while in a car and wearing handcuffs with no explanation besides plot armour. If in episode 12 they say the killer ended Taesung's father's life I will be quite displeased. That young man already has a slowly improving relationship with him. The writer would be cruel to do this to him for the plot. Perhaps it's a way to make him a detective in the future after his father passes, so the three can stay connected through the case. Not looking forward to that if it turns out to be true!

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I hate shows where the villain is seemingly unstoppable, for no real discernible reason other than plot armor. They just keep coming and coming, they're always there to overhear vital clues, etc. I just feel emotionally manipulated by the show.

I'd much prefer spending the rest of the show exploring other aspects of the time travel paradoxes. With all the changes that have happened, I'm sure they both must have a heck of a lot of thoughts and questions around fate, identity and what constitutes the essential nature of a person.

Man, that 14-year separation he's about to embark on is like the mother of all long-distance relationships. She should bring him flowers and a thank you card when they meet again on that bridge.

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Yeah, I'm annoyed by how the killer is this mysteriously omnipresent and powerful entity whose motivations are totally unknown and who - unlike SJ's watch - takes a licking and keeps on ticking. The only excuse I can think of for including him is that the writer needs an antagonist who is not only unpredictable, but has a will of his own and the ability to change his plans based on the leads' actions. If it were some non-human obstacle they'd be able to overcome it once and for all with careful planning and scheduling. If we must have a killer, it would be more interesting to me if he turns out to be a time-traveler, too, but it's getting awfully late in the show to introduce that.

I'm still hoping the show will resolve the time travels so that there is no 14-year separation, and that their new timeline has them together - or at least in touch - all along. Hoping, but not expecting.

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It's like some terminator, but instead powered by fate.

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💯 👏 Even the OTP's double suns are not able to eclipse that annoying killer cabbie. 😳 The plot armor is such a lazy piece of writing.

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"...Or should we root for her character growth — which would be for her to do just what Sun-jae asked of her: to stop running away from him."

Both characters have their own strengths and motivations. But to Sol's defense, I don't think she's running away from Sun Jae but rather trying to face this alone. Remember that her main motivation for going back in time for the last time is to save Sun Jae. In the same way Sun Jae is willing to sacrifice himself for her, Sol is too. They're both selfless which is why they're a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, the best way to lure the killer out is when she's by herself. It really sounds impulsive and risky, but since we saw the preview of Sol years later, I wasn't too worried. 😌

After witnessing his death twice and being in the ICU, I understand why Sol wouldn't want Sun Jae to be involved in her situation. To top it all off, she's running out of time and may still be grieving for the 34-year-old Sun Jae in the previous timeline. I'd be out of my mind if I were her. 🙃 Actually, you can also see it that way too - her judgment is clouded by everything she's witnessed in previous timelines and her desperation to save Sun Jae.

I really hope they wrap this killer plot up in the next episode so we have three episodes for our favorite couple! 💛💙💛💙

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Completely agree! She already lost him twice so why drag him back into danger again? I totally understand her reasoning of shielding him and going at it alone.

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Facing things alone is pretty much always not a good idea.

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I agree, but I wouldn't say she's completely alone since she's coordinating with the police - but then again it's still different when you have someone by your side to help you. 😌 I think she still feels guilty, but I suspect there's more to her vision than what we saw in Episode 12 that led to her to make that decision. 🤔

It's been a while since I felt emotionally invested in a drama. I both like and dislike the vicarious experience of feeling pain and hurt (that's how good KHY and BWS acting is), so the behind-the-scenes footage of episodes 11-12 helped me cope instead of repeatedly watching the preview of episode 13.
YouTube links in case you're interested:
Ep 11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUNumU5ohw4
Ep 12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgPdD8SdyBo&t=642s

Hopefully, our questions will be addressed in the next episode. 🤞 Why does Monday seem so far away?

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Thank you for the bts links. ❤😍👏

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I do hope they are able to close the chapter on the serial killer plot. I'll be super thrilled with three whole episodes of fluffy filler OTP hijinks. 😂😊❤

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Welcome, Cera! Manifesting ✨🙏 three episodes for our OTP 💛💙💛💙 If not extended episodes would be great too! I'm not taking no for an answer so I already signed up as member of the Director's cut Blu-ray promotion cafe 😁

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Oh wow! How cool. Please to share an update when you receive the Blu-ray.

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* do share

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Sun Sol are the ray of sunshine in my kdrama week. They are especially cute together more so when they became official.
In Hyuk and Tae Sung are reluctant witnesses to thejr love. 🤭
I also love the Sun Jae and Tae Sung drunken night spent on worshipping Sol. Poor In Hyuk but he should be commended for being a wonderful bestie! 😁
I am all for a token trip to the beach to spend last days of youth with friends. Poor Sunny became the sacrificial lamb. Honestly they couldve towed the car out of the sea sooner. I am happy that Tae Sung and In Hyuk are the ones that completed the quartet. I can't stand Geum and Hye Won's babytalk *cringe*. The two episodes were mostly lovely.

Now that is out of the way... WTF Sol?! Don't be a noble idiot. I would like to think that she has learned her lesson from her previous encounters with the killer. This storyline better make sense next week.

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The brother and her friend - so cringe. I have started FF-ing them.

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I will start to FF their scenes if its just them. They are really annoying me.

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How they even think it’s cute is beyond me.

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Okay, I'm glad I'm not the only one who wondered why they were looking at the car as it went further into the sea. I feel like it could've been towed out and repair would've still been possible. Also the fact that TaeSung wasn't much affected by the car was unrealistic. Even the rest of the crew. The car was brand new for God's sake.

About Geum and Hyewon, well, the part with the dog was kind of funny. I couldn't even stand their scenes before but I could tolerate them a bit in these episodes. It's been a while since I was uninterested in side characters the way I'm uninterested in them.

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The car was only for PPL. 😆
Seriously though I expected him to panic and demand someone help him get the car out of the sea asap. You are right its brand new and he was very careful with it. i expected him to be screaming bloody murder.

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What kind of PPL will let them "drown" the car - it should have been unrealistically saved!!

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They had to sacrifice Sunny to prove their car is not water resistent at a certain depth. 🤣🤣🤣

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🤦‍♀️ Whoever came up with the PPL needs a lesson in basic advertising.

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The VW Beetle stopped being produced in 2019 that’s why I thought it was odd they had this iconic car randomly appear in two different K-dramas. I am assuming in this drama his was a statement expensive car that styling wise goes with his character.

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But I thought that was a Fiat Cinquecento Cabrio :O

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"Sun Sol are the ray of sunshine in my kdrama week."

💯 Absolutely and totally!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤♾

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I am glad you agree ☺️ Sun Sol ❤️❤️❤️

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If you just see my Fanwall you'll know how much I agree!! 😉 😂

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First I want to say I enjoyed all of the squee moments with our couple. Sun Jae is so head over heels for Sol.
Now I agree with others that Sol has come to realise she can’t change her fate. She will always be attacked by the crazy cabbie. If she had stayed on the train, like someone above said, the only way the future would change is that it would happen. At a different place and date. The location change just shows it is bound to happen. And I agree with someone else that said if she confronts this head on, old Sol is in charge and may make other decisions then young Sol as she has fore-knowledge of the events unlike her young self.
No sun Jae also has knowdge of the future and he also will still make the same decision to save her as he clearly says in a voice over. In a way they are both embracing their fate. But one is trying to change it so the other can have a future while the other is embracing it so they can save the one they lover cause that’s more important to them then their one. Life . Same idea different execution. The preview were misleading I think so we just have to wait and see. Fingers crossed they get a happy ending

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That Sol-34 is better equipped to handle the killer cabbie is a very valid point. What if Sun-Jae-34 is also able to time travel back somehow.

Indeed they are both trying their best to protect the other without caring about themselves.

"Fingers crossed they get a happy ending." Yes please.

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I like the foursome on the beach (particularly the guys), and I kind of wish they were in a different drama that developed them more. I still find the other characters (particularly the friend and the brother) a bit annoying, but I think I've gotten used to the humor at this point.

There are a few things that puzzle/bug me, maybe because I've missed or forgotten aspects of the plot:

1. Is Sol seeing visions of a future that hasn't happened yet? How does that work? The original setting for the anticipated May 10th encounter was elsewhere, I thought. Is she somehow seeing the memories of the person she replaced when she returned to the future or some other version of herself, either from the future or the past?

2. Given how G-rated K-drama highschoolers can be, I didn't think they slept together in the biblical sense, but was that obvious to everyone else? That seems problematic for many reasons. Not only are they using someone else's bed/room/home, but Sol is basically in someone else's (much younger) body. Her younger self is going to have no memory of losing her virginity, and if she were to become pregnant ... Well, that's just really messed up.

3. Wouldn't Sun-Jae be more inclined to follow Sol off the train if he thought her younger self suddenly returned? After all, she has no clue where she is and, unlike the older Sol, she doesn't know she's in danger.

4. Having older Sol take over younger Sol's body when she travels back in time raises a lot of questions. If younger Sol dies while older Sol is in her body or traveling back to the future, does older Sol automatically disappear or could she travel to the past or a different timeline? What happens to younger Sol's consciousness when older Sol returns to the future? Does she just cease to exist or do the two Sols merge somehow? What if the new version of younger Sol develops different relationships older Sol knows nothing about?

5. Can't Sol stop time by mentioning the future? Can't she use that ability against the Taxi driver?

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Great questions! But I only want to comment on #2 since I don't know the answers to these questions. I am also maybe one of the few (?) people who trust/believe that nothing happened that night since it may be problematic for Young Sol - also given how conscious Adult Sol is about going back into her time.

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I'm with you. I am trusting that nothing happened that night.

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2. Oops, I forgot they were in college now.

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#1 - I can give this a shot: those blurry images are Sol’s memories, not foresight, but they’re the memories of 34-year-old Sol who’s in 2009. When she does something that changes the future, future-her's memories change, too, because she’s mentally the 34-year-old who lived through the events. It’s like the newscast at the end of episode 10 changing to show Eclipse with 3 members and a 5th album, but it's happening inside Sol’s head. (The same kind of time travel/memory trick was used extensively in Nine: Nine Time Travels, with fresh memories suddenly forming in people’s heads when events in their past changed.) If this is correct, then each action Sol takes to change the future will also change her future self’s memories - and this can happen more than once. The future isn’t fixed yet.

#2 - I agree, it’s extremely unlikely they did anything beyond literally sleeping, for the reasons you say.

#3 - yes, and I think we’ll see that he did. He probably got one station down the line, bolted off the train, and came back to In-hyuk’s hometown somehow. Dramaddictally noted that he’s wearing the same clothes in Sol’s final memory-flash that he had on in the train.

#4 - I think whatever Sol does in the past alters the future so that the previous versions of the future never existed, like a train being shunted from one track onto another. But the future isn’t settled until it arrives.

#5 - she (or the show) seems to have forgotten that trick. It’s another example of her regression as a character.

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#5: I thought Sol already did the trick with the taxi driver when she was kidnapped on 2nd time travel? Or did I mistaken about it? 🤔🤔🤔

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I only remember her doing it intentionally with SJ's dad in his house. You've given me an excuse to rewatch some earlier episodes - as if I needed one!

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Also regarding #1 - I'm still not sure if Sol truly has amnesia due to the trauma of her accident/attack, or if she can't remember the past because in a loopy time-travel way it hasn't definitively happened yet, or some of each.

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I see. So it's basically like the fading photograph/disappearing limb scenario in Back to the Future where the future is constantly changing with each action she takes. This, along with time travel in general, seems to lead to a number of paradoxes, so maybe I should stop thinking about it now. If her memories are in a constant state of flux, maybe it's good that Sol doesn't seem to devote much time to thinking about this stuff either. Personally, I would probably go nuts.

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Agree with all your point! I think sol made that decision because she afraid that SJ will help to save her again if they proceed with the original idea. So she send SJ first to make sure he safe before confront with the killer. Knowing sol, I believe she will make sure her safety too by calling the detective (hopr so). Me too trauma after watching my love one died 2 times because of me T.T

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Thank you @fydea for raising some truly great questions and thank you @Elinor for your perceptive answers.
Your answer to #1 is extremely informative and clears up quite a few issues as to the working of this ever changing future.

#2 Nah - nothing happened! 😂

#3 I think the penny dropped after her cried his eyes out. Also he wants to protect Sol - young AND old.

#4 That's a great analogy Elinor. Thanks.

#5 Is she so traumatized that she forgets to speak - also highly likely if he actually manages to inject her with animal anesthetic - taking out a leaf from Dexter's kill-book.

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#2. I think something happened because he said 'saranghe'- That carries quite a lot and if you watch many dramas, once, ''I love you' is confessed, it is done. As conservative as this drama is portrayed, is, it is not unusual that teenagers are engaging in........ At this point it is unknown who this Sol is and how old because remember, she recalls when her brother and best friend had children- she was older. if anything, she's older here and Sunjae is the minor.

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My concern was less about their mental or physical ages than the idea that Sol's older mind/consciousness is in her younger body and that anything she does with that body could potentially burden her younger self when she goes back to the future. Her younger self could wake up to discover her body has been physically intimate with someone in her absence, and if she were pregnant, she would have to decide what to do about that and the father she considers a stalker. To be honest, I think it would be more ethical for them to put their relationship on hold to see if they both feel the same way in their 30s. Much of what older Sol has done so far has seemed to traumatize her younger self, and I'm a bit surprised she does not try to leave messages for her younger self or find some way to communicate with her. This would help SJ, too, in terms of the way her younger self treats him. What if younger Sol grew to hate SJ because she did not personally consent to being with him, which in her mind would be a complete violation (a bit like someone sleeping with you when you were drunk, out of it, or asleep)?

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Same as you @dramaddictally, my heart shattered as Sun-jae was left on the train alone. Can't think of a much worse separation given the circumstances. A deeply precious few weeks is now just a lonely memory for the next 14 years.

Still love our OTP, but I might be moving towards the @hacja train: a 20 yr old college student and a 34 year old woman would not have had so much trouble getting down to it... The teenaged behaviour got wearisome there. Although they are advertising themselves as "oxygen-pure", this may be their last time together for years - not sure they would be so slow to take the opportunity.

Agree that these episodes are slightly running out of steam storywise and we seemed to be going nowhere for a while. Really hope it picks up again: I truly have loved it and I don't want the faint disappointment kicking in.

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@kate88hammond Thanks for the shout-out as the Dramabeans resident libertine! It gave me a good chuckle, but you are right, I am totally predictable, in that I was thinking even if Sol was completely her 20 year self, since our couple are college students, in love, and the encounter is completely uncoerced, 20 is a totally reasonable age for a first sexual experience. Especially since condoms were so prominently featured as a gag, I could have seen one remnant being "discovered" in Sun-jae's pocket in a slightly racy, but inoffensive suggestion of things that would happen later. Of course I say inoffensive, and I'm talking inoffensive to me--reading a couple of the comments here I realize that some would have indeed found it offensive!

But moving on from this very fraught Dramabeans topic--I totally agree with you that the problem with Sol's decision is that she is completely ignoring Sun-jae's feelings in her self-defined role of "saving" him. If I was Sun-jae, so totally in love, and abandoned by Sol like that, it would start me on a course of depression that when I saw her on the bridge and she didn't remember me because of a seaside accident, I would be much more inclined to kill myself. So I'm with @dramaddictally , that the show seems to have forgotten the theme of Sol's developing understanding of what it means to love someone--not just trying to save him, but trying to make sure that as many moments as possible you spend with him are meaningful and based on emotional understanding and honest communication.

However, I kind of knew given the nature of the story that the 16 episode length would mean the narrative would begin to lag. In fact, hate to say it, but I'm skeptical there are 4 more hours of story left, without some absurd twists and turns that will indeed leave some faint, or maybe serious disappointment.

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I'm stuck back on wondering what the "@hacja train" would actually transport and, even with that thought still hanging over our heads like a sword, where such a locomotive would be headed if it did exist!

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I'm not sure where it's going, but I'm sure one car is filled with horny normal, healthy 20-somethings heading out to do what normal, healthy 20-somethings do.

In real life, @hacja's scenario in his first paragraph seems far more likely than not, but in the context of kdrama, alas, we have to pretend that our leads' parents are the only people who've ever had sex. I hope the early-episode conversations - when Sol says what consenting adults decide to do together is fine and when her mom cheers her on for spending the night with a man - mean we won't have to keep pretending for the rest of the show. It does get more than a little tiresome.

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You impressively stuck to the topic. I cannot/refuse/will not. 😉

I was thinking more like "bullshit" and "to the land of lost dreams?" 😁

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@attiton, If you would just follow my train of thought, you'd be on a fast track to enlightenment. But no, you're always wanting to blow off steam, so you'd just get derailed and reach the end of the line.

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Yes, @hacja, I know my anger management problems risk derailing this conversation, but I'm gonna keep chugging along despite the trainwreck that is your one-track mind.

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That’s not being a libertine but just acknowledging that despite the ingoing KD censorship and purity propaganda, teens will get down to it any chance they get and wherever they can. And, good for them. Just be safe kiddos!

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Sol's character has me on the fence. I don't agree with her actions but I can understand her perspective even though it isn't necessarily correct.
To her, watching Seon-jae dying 3 times was devastating. So, she can't endure facing that tragedy once more, esp after all they went through. She blames herself for Seon-jae's death, while in reality no one is at fault here. They are innocent people who came across a psychopath.
The only ending that feels right is the story having Taxi Driver die after falling off the cliff. I tremble each time he is on screen, though I watched a fair share of crime dramas, but I can't really take his screen time anymore.

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I'm with you on the killer cabbie track. Creeps me out more than I care to admit. I vote 🙋‍♀️ for the Cliff of Doom.

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I love Sunjae and Taesung becoming friend. Their drunk scene is just too cute and funny. I don't think I've ever seen SML and ML duo wit best chemy like this XD

The broken hearted scene is when Sol ask Sunjae to not cry if she left.
Sunjae is about to cry while I'm bawling.

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The True Beauty ML and 2ML (same writer) were good. The writer seems to have a fondness for 2MLs.

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The taxi driver plot is frustrating me and I hope they'll resolve it by next week and we can get back to focusing in the present timeline back to square one as a fan and idol. Please writer-nim hear my plea.

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Second your petition!! 😊

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I'm surprised how much I enjoyed some of the humour in episode 11 where usually I'm allergic to the kdrama slapstick.

I can't figure out why I like the dad trapped in the toilet & the basic instinct jokes but really dislike the brother/friend storyline. I don't mean to be critical of individuals, but I wonder if some of it is the two performance itself rather than the writing.

It's also strange narratively that Sol's best friend hasn't noticed she is different and that Sol isn't confiding in her. That makes her seem more like a caricature rather than a real character.

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Sol too busy with SJ and have limited time to share with her best friend😂

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I loved episode 11 minus the bathroom antics.

Good catch about the alleged best friend not noticing any difference in Sol. The are both busy dating, but still ... that's now how gal pals work.

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I don’t know how the so called “noble idiocy” - a harsh term which isn’t always justified - could be avoided here. In my take, Sol always had a dual purpose - to save Sunjae but also give herself the chance to be a carefree teenager, to fall in love, experience the thrills and to live a more fulfilled life. This second goal could have been possible with Tae on her first journey back to the past but the story unfurled the red carpet for Sunjae and Sol never looked back. I don’t think it’s fair to say that Sol hasn’t grown. Her paralysis already altered her, made her stronger and more resilient. She has utilised all those attributes in her time slips. Yes, I wish both of their characters were more engaged with the world and could’ve talked about other important things like discrimination against people with disabilities, violence against women, etc but that ship never sailed and won’t so I’ve confined my expectations. I’ve hated the serial murderer subplot from the beginning and hate it even more now but this trope is like a bacterial infection. It is too contagious and is resistant to antibiotics. Sol should want to save Sunjae so she can also fulfil her longing for a life she didn’t get to live in the OG timeline. The writing has done this depiction poorly as it has only depicted the fanatical devotion to rescuing Sunjae without adequately developing what she felt she lost because of the violent attack on her.
To this end, I am intrigued that she didn’t say I love you to Sunjae when he confessed that he loved her. In kDs, “I like you” carries a considerable weight so I didn’t dwell on it much but made me think that her confession of love for Sunjae might be saved for the bitter sweet ending.

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If there is anything in a K-Drama I dislike more than amnesia it's … the noble idiocy. And Sol is going directly into "Destined With You" territory, I'm still not over how incredibly effing stupid the FL in that drama was. (I'm not dissing Jo Bo-ah, you can only work with what you have as an actor, but the character was written really bad.)
Of course Sol wants to protect Sun-jae, but she needs to protect herself, too. Luring the killer into the woods with the added Cliffs-of-Doom is a high level of stupid.
And since I'm talking about the killer: 12 episodes in he is still like the killer in "W - Both Worlds" in the first half: he has no face, no character, no motive, he just exists in the story to create conflict.
That said, I want friends like Tae-sung and Baek In-hyuk.

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"And Sol is going directly into "Destined With You" territory"

I still have not gotten over the stupidity involved in this.

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Yeah, me neither. Obviously. The character of the FL was a new low.

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I think there is only so much cute I can take without much plot. These episodes were a bit boring for me even when the leads were adorable. These episodes were like a bunch of random scenes stitched tighter. I was also getting tired of Sol’s shocked wide eyed expressions every time Sun Jae did something romantic. And then she smiles. It takes away from the spontaneity of a romantic interaction.
And killer plot is as weak as it could get. Whatever she does the killer gets out. I still don’t know why the killer is after her ( or I forgot).
So when Sun Jae reaches 2023, how does he expect to meet the new Sol. What happens to the Sol who lives along with Sun Jae with no memory of him?

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After Sol leaves for the future is the young Sol not expected to have any other romantic relationship? What happens to future Sol then? 14 years is a long time. Why couldn’t younger Sol also love SunJae? Why didn’t they write it like this? And why would young Sol forget all of her memories? lol too many questions

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I am focusing on BWS face and not the plot. It’s working so far.

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Excellent strategy - works like a charm!! ❤😊👏

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In defense of Sol: the talk of Sol's growth or lack thereof is understandable, but we are also talking about the 34 year old here. We haven't really met 19 year old except in small snippets (the most extended time was in Tae Sung's birthday video). The 34 year old Sol has seen a lot of growth since her 19 year old self--especially since she has experienced her life post paralysis and seen Sun Jae die once and brutally attacked on the brink of death another time. She's seen an unhappy Sun Jae (clearly the first idol Sun Jae was not happy as he was on medication and ready to quit the band), and she has seen when Sun Jae was happier (post his first interactions with 34 year old Sol). Her reconsideration of stopping his singing career is with that in mind. She also has moved past her idol worship into having a meaningful, "let's enjoy the moments we have relationship" with Sun Jae as short and fleeting as she knows it will be, having experienced the jumps back to the future. Her desire to save Sun Jae is no less committed than Sun Jae's commitment to save her even if it means dying. Also, it is in some sense more understandable because she has seen him die while she survives the various attacks--that fate is something she is desperately trying to change. It is indeed frustrating, but that is the tension of the show. Regardless of the killer's motives, which I am glad we don't see because who needs to see his reasoning or plotting, he is mainly the shadow of fate and/or death that drives this show in the background.

This week confirmed (once again and consistently every week) that Geum and Hyun Joo do nothing for me. Their aegyo was so cringey. To be honest, I didn't love the aegyo even from the mains this episode, but the OTP's private moments were what makes this show great.

Tae Seung-- long may he be relevant and present in Sol and Sun Jae's lives and the show. What a good egg. He's a wise, caring soul in the package of a charmer. The show should begin every day with a "good morning" from him.

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100% agree with you

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I love your spirited defense of Sol! 😊❤😍

The brother and best friend are entirely disposable. More Tae Sung please. Even In Hyuk is fine just get rid of the cringe duo and killer cabbie.

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"Sol is starting to show signs of a stereotypical savior (a little too perfect in her intentions). Are we supposed to root for that? For her to save the day on her own? Or should we root for her character growth — which would be for her to do just what Sun-jae asked of her: to stop running away from him."

Well, the writers fooled me because I thought she was actually learning. After the end of the last episode, it appears that was way too much for me to hope for.

Every time she seems to make things worse. Not just for her but Sun-jae as well.

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Have the writers written themselves into a corner!? Or rather a circle since the same things are happening but differently each time. Someone come and break the wheel - Tae Sung to the rescue!! ❤😊

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Why did the writers have to do that to Sunny? They better bring restore her.

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Probably the seawater put an end to Sunny’s charmed life with Tae.

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I hope it was CGI sunny 😅

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In the BTS, it looks like Sunny took a bath :p

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It really annoyed me that those three strong young men didn't even try to float/drag her back to shore. She could have been saved!

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Yay my exams are over which means I am about to get even more OBSESSED with lovely runner. I need to share some of my thoughts:

1. Firstly about the sleeping together scene, I would like it if they did not go beyond kissing (cant believe I am the one saying this), on one hand it makes sense that they would (because they confirmed their feeling for one another) but also that they wouldn't (it is 20 year old Sol's body and neither is the timing right)

I want a scene where we don't have to speculate and it is explicitly clear that they slept together. This "now" scene could be the one if maybe they address in the future and tell us that they did do it.
2. About Sol's noble idiocy, I have read and understood both POV and agree to each of them but I am also okay with the direction the story is going forward.
I Like to see it as this way: Sol is taking charge of her own future and fate, Both the times she faced The killer (in OG and in revised old timeline) Sunjae was the one who saved her and had the killer arrested, she fainted and couldn't do much. This time she is making sure that SHE is the one who has him arrested so that he only holds the grudge towards her in the future. She saw Sunjae die twice and suffered from that trauma, I understand her reactions. This time around she is also involving police and being proactive, it does not matter whether Sunjae saves her or not she just needs to have him arrested by herself.

3. It does feel a bit weird that now that Sunjae knows who Sol really is 20 years old Sunjae is in love with 34years old Sol, This Is officially a Noona romance now, lol

4. As for the OG timeline I have said it before that I would like some more definite answer as to why Sunjae died But I think I got them:
He was really depressed and already suicidal, he follows Sol to her house and that this where the killer sees him and changed his target to him. He goes over to his hotel and rings the doorbell but Sunjae might have already jumped (hard to think killer could push him off the balcony and also explains why he was stabbed in the next timeline)
Thus it was right for SOL to focus on his depression when she travelled to past the first time, it is because she tried that Sunjae although was heartbroken did not suffer from mental health problems.
in the episode 8 timeline the killer sees him outside her house and changes the target, both the times his initial target was really only Sol but seeing Sunjae made him change his mind.
5. About the killer, I agree with the major opinion that the less time we spend on killer the better, we do not need to see him plot the murder or his thoughts. BUT I do need some answer whether his obsession with Sol is really random or anything to do with time travel (this I prefer).
I know in real life there does not have to be reasons, a killer is a killer. But in real life we do not get the answer we want thus I hope the drama will provide some reason for his obsession...

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Congratulations on finishing your exams! Appreciate your insights! :)

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Thanks 😁

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Welcome! Forgot to mention that I really Iike your take on Sol's POV: "Sol is taking charge of her own future and fate...This time she is making sure that SHE is the one who has him arrested." That's so empowering! ✨

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I really think that episode 11 is one of the best kdrama episodes I’ve ever seen. Which is why it’s staring firmly in the number 2 spot of near kdramas I’ve ever seen. I’m continually impressed by all of our actors here. They are so engaging to see on screen (and it probably helps that I totally immerse myself in a dark room and a screen that filled my entire visual field). Usually, there’s a lot of angst in episodes 11-12, but we got super heart-fluttering. Women writing men will always be my favorite and these two episodes are why.

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I just wish the writer nim had focused on depression, disability, and the fandom. The killer storyline is just lazy writing.
One of the things that I truly appreciated was Sol acknowledging music was important for Sun Jae. When she time travels the first time she tears up CEO Kim's calling card thinking that it will prevent Sun Jae's death. Of course, she realizes later that he was murdered. This time she finally acknowledges that Sun Jae loves music.

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After having to give up swimming it would be sad if Sun-Jae had to give up music too.

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Dont read ahead, if you don't want SPOILERS for next episode which was published in korean media outlets
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Sol saw Seon Jae die in that cliff while trying to save her. The future is changing which is why 34 year old Sol now has the altered memories of 20 year old Sol new timeline. Remember, Eclipse being shown as 3 member group. Well, its because Seon Jae never gets to debut with them. That's why Sol made sure Seon Jae left in that train. She cannot avoid meeting the killer so she is facing him head on alone. Its emotional decision, not rational. But honestly if you see the man you love die like 100 different ways, I am not sure how Sol is supposed to keep her sanity at this point. I personally think people expect way too much from her and ignore how much her mind must be in shambles with the guilt and lingering trauma of it. Her burdens too heavy and she is desperate.

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Really ? Thats interesting. Do you have any more spoilers ?

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I mean she makes it to 2024 with her legs in tact and Seon Jae alive because there are filming pics all over social media which I assume are footage for upcoming episodes. There's this massive gag order that Korean media has agreed to about ending of the drama. They won't run any story even if things leak accidentally. So, I am not sure if happy ending is guaranteed yet.

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NOOOOOOO. Please, no spoilers in the recap threads! Not even with a warning. DB policy is to only discuss what's already aired in the actual show, and this is not fair to those who are trying to enjoy the show as it happens. The fanwall is a much better place for this kind of discussion.

@dramaddictally, could you please restate this for beanies who might not know, or have forgotten? It's gotten out of hand in so many threads recently.

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I would not be at all surprised if the person who gets off the train, and gets Sun-jae off the train, is Tae-sung. He is smart, he knows she is trying to protect Sun-jae, and he isn't blinded by grief over adult Sol supposedly leaving again. I also wouldn't be surprised if Tae-sung is the one who ends up getting hurt. I don't remember seeing him in the future. And after starving for his father's attention for 12 episodes, I could see him getting a lot of love after getting hurt. For me, Tae-sung is what holds this drama together. If we only had Sun-jae longing for Sol and Sol trying to save Sun-jae, it would be bland, and none of the other side characters could save it. I hope Song Geon-hee's career takes off after this drama.

And yes, they could have pulled the car out of the water a lot earlier. It was hard to believe Tae-sung would just sit there mournfully on a rock, staring at his precious car, instead of trying to save it.

A little inconsistency that's bugging me - how could Sol, as a number one fan of Eclipse, remember In-hyuk's hometown and the color of his roof, but not have remembered (in ep. 1) that Sun-jae lived across the street from her in high school?

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Because SJ was connected to a deeply traumatic memory of a kidnapping that resulted in her being paralysed. She may have physical amnesia, or she may just have a psychological block, but either way she has hidden all memories of SJ away from herself.
Alternately, she is in a time loop, so all the times she interacts with SJ are only her older self, and her younger self doesn't know and does not care who lives across the street.

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Well, teenage Sol is over the head for TaeSung. Of coz she would not pay any attention apart from him. And she did not know him living across their home, as she mistaken him as the delivery guy.
Only SunJae remembered it like a chord striking to his heart, not in Sol's PoV.

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Don’t put that in the universe about Tae being hurt!

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Oh, yes, Tae is the real MVP.
Isn't he like literally the only character that had a development and feels like a real person at this point? Everyone is the same from episode one till now, but he actually matured and learned (something that seems impossible for people in this show).

Yeah, that's interesting since Sun Jae was literally her bias. But maybe he didn't disclosed that kind of information.

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We don't really know what happened to Tae Sung in the original timeline - only that he got into a fight and left school. But the new TS really seems to have changed his life around after Halemoni Sol's heartfelt advice.

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We saw him on the parking in front of Sol's house in the present.

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That was after she went back.

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I would hope for TS to grow up to be a detective like his father who finally catches the killer cabbie.

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I totally agree with you about them be able to pull the car out of the water.... why leave it?!

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But thats probably cause Sunjae has moved out of that house and the entire locality has undergone reconstruction. She knows his father's restaurant and says that she has gone there on a fan trip. Sunjae's house doesn't exist. Nor does her own. She probably knows where Sunjae lives NOW. (2023)

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There are so many interesting insights on this thread. :) I enjoyed reading them.

Just some thoughts I wanted to share here: I wonder if Sol will end up in a wheel chair again. Something about the preview gave me that idea. What do you all think?

Regarding young Sol:

After time-traveler Sol returns to her own timeline (the future from the perspective of the drama), I wonder if there might be a way for Sun-jae to get to know the younger version of our female lead, his contemporary in the current timeline. We know that Sun-jae is in love with older Sol, that he only liked but never truly knew young Sol, but I wonder if there might be a way for that to change instead of having Sun-jae wait patiently for fifteen years to pass. I mean, even that doesn't make that much sense. How will future Sol even remember the love and experiences they shared during her time-travel adventure if those feelings and experiences would not be part of past Sol's memories? She won't even remember Sun-jae that way, right? They would have to start their relationship from scratch, fifteen years into the future. It would be like the original fan-girl Sol, meeting Sun-jae on the bridge that fateful night after the concert, unware of their teenage connection and the torch (as well as guilt) that Sun-jae had been carrying for her all those years.

Young Sol wanted nothing to do with Sun-jae because she said that he reminded her of the trauma she experienced, but maybe that could change. Is Sun-jae not even willing to try to build a relationship with young Sol?

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It does seem like this time Sol-34 will go back to the original timeline. I wonder how will they handle Sun Sol meeting up in 2023 this time.

It would be really nice if Sun-19 and Sol-19 would get along. It would be tragic if Sol-34 forgot ALL of these lovely OTP moments that they shared together. ❤

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I just commented up there regarding this. What if young Sol falls in love with someone else? 14 years is a long time for an attractive young adult not to see someone romantically. What would happen to adult Sol then? Poor SunJae. I feel so bad for him.

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We trust in K-dramas. 😂
If people can love each other through many lifetimes - past lives, Joseon and present, we hope Sun Sol can survive these *few* years. 😭 They better do it. 🤞

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I'm not sure if we will still see 19yo Sol, but I hope the drama implies that younger Sol ends up falling in love with SJ too. its on brand with the whole fate thing going on, that they were always meant to be, no matter the timelines lol does this get confused re: 34yo sol memories? maybe, but there's a poing with time travel stories that I just give up trying to make things being logical LOL

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That would be so good if Sun Sol can be together throughout. I would root for that. 😊❤

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Fate really plays with Sol,if she choosed to not do anything and go with Sun Jae back home she would miss the killer yet now eveything that she saw and tried to prevent will happen…Like said fate really plays with her showing that somehow her choices that she thinks changes her visions actually lead her to them...Sun Jae & Tae Sung budding friendship and how hilarious they are both together,drunk even more and along with In Hyuk making the perfect trio LOL...Sun Jae is adorable and everyone knows but he is even more adorable when he is drunk,the way he was all Sol this Sol that with that voice is soooo cute ....The killer is one savvy obsessed dude....Also love the comedy in moments like that of the video shop with Sun Jae Dad considering his don the innocence incarnate and Sun Jae saying he begged Sol to like him,those moments are hilarious...Still curious how they will handle the young Sol that is left in her right timeline with a huge memory loss and Sun Jae loosing her,as while she is Sol she isin't the same Sol at the same time...

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While we are largely ignoring Sol-19 because of how cute uri OTP is, fact remains it's a very important plot point. Hope she's safe and has a happy life to become Sol-34.

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I honestly get Sol's reasoning.. I think there is a huge misconception that Sun Jae loves Sol more but I think she loves him more.. Sol literally went back in time just to save him ( multiple times). The main thing that is missed by many viewers is how the Killer walked by signs of demolition and it was grey.. I said previously he is a time traveller too. he is able to time travel through Sol's phone.

I am hoping this drama becomes a K drama classic, it is already my feel good drama and I will always love it. Sun Jae is one of the best male leads I have seen in awhile because he is so purely in love with our female lead and big kudos to BWS because he makes Sun Jae so believable... I love how Sun Jae loves Sol but he is always watching her reactions because he is still a little unsure of her and her love for him.

But like i said, Sol loves Sun Jae but she will always worry about him because she loves him so much. These two are so cute... Gosh when they were cuddling, it was so adorable.

Episode 11 was hilarious and 12 was deeply sweet. I love seeing our Sun/Sol as a couple.. they really compliment each other.

I just dont want Sol's fear of SJ to drag the storyline.. we have 4 episodes left and i am really interested to see how it plays out.. When Sol goes back to the future what happens in the intervening years.. Did SJ get tired of waiting? Did he and past Sol argue? Break up? I also want to see if and how they get back together... So it should be fun to watch if nothing else..

PS.. I think Sun Jae will be ready for the killer in the future... because now he knows he 's coming. Since Sol can only go back 3 times, I am presuming the Killer could only go back 3 times and SJ never knew about that attack before but now he knows.. So I think the killer will be caught off guard by this.. and he wont have a chance to go back and change it

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Yes I noticed the color of the surroundings changing as the killer cabbie walks. Good catch about Sol's phone being the time machine. I was so hoping that Sun-Jae would be the other time traveller but ok. Just hope we can get rid of cabbie soon.

I too vote for the drama and Sun Sol to become a K drama classic. 🙌

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Wait! What?! OMG! The killer might be a time traveler too?! NOOOOOOOOOOO!

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It seems likely. Can't *just* be an effect right?

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I *did* find that scene where the color and surroundings seemed to change odd but I forgot it. That was so weird and confusing.

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TBH I tend to ignore all cabbie scenes but this stood out. So 🤷‍♀️

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I'm team no-killer-is-not-a-time-traveler. I don't see how that would progress the story. Or to put it another way, if the killer is a time traveler I am going to be very disappointed in the writer.
I think the things going grey when he is around is just an effect to highten tension. They also go grey and blurry when Sol is remembering her memories.

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I am sorry but the killer is definitly a time traveller ( which would explain his obsession with Sol) and I think its her phone that he is able to time travel through because he was holding it when he was walking by. It actually makes sense.. Also, the signs in the background said demolition and reviltalization of the community.. But remember Sol's neighborhood hasnt gone through the change yet.. These are all guesses but its pretty clear ... if I am right, remember I called it..😊

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there's no way the killer is not a time traveler.
usually, these stories have another one that is revealed later and I'm 99% sure is gonna be him

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Thank you for a lovely recap. You are truly a voice of reason and have prepared a most perfect recap for us.

You're brave too for putting up that last screencap of Sun-Jae crying in the train. I didn't dare to do that. 😭

I have been acting like quite a looney squeeing all over the fanwall about uri Ryu-omeo and Sol-iet and their Comedy Show of ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤♾.

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I still marvel at the fact that there will be whole sequences in this show that I've seen a million times in other kdramas and which don't typically make me do anything other than roll my eyes, and when LR does them, here I am laughing like an idiot. Case in point: the whole ripped-shirt-bag-of-condoms series of scenes. I knew exactly what was coming and yet I still guffawed like a loon. Is it the direction? Amazing chemistry between the leads? I don't know, but who cares. It's way more fun to laugh along with a show than at one.

I truly never get tired of Sun-Jae's utter devotion to Sol, even in tiny scenes like the one where he starting fanning a very agitated Sol confronting her brother and best friend. Or when he joined her in class simply to hold her hand. Or when he sincerely and beautifully confessed the depth of his feelings. He's definitely in the running for the Greatest Male Lead of all Time.

Does the show have weaknesses? Yes, and their names are Idiot Brother and Screechy Best Friend. God, they're annoying. I like the idea of a secondary romance between a brother and a best friend, but not these two. But their existence does bring me back to the question I posed at the beginning of this post: does the charm of this show really come down almost entirely to the leads? Because the IB and SBF romance is certainly strong evidence that it does.

Another weakness for me is the serial killer, but not because I'm tired of murder in my romcoms. I would argue that this story did need the type of suspense and dramatic tension a lurking baddie like this one brings. However, I wish that his evil doing was somehow tied to the time slipping itself. Like, he needed to kill Sol and/or Sun-Jae in service to it somehow, or to protect someone or himself from what a different future might bring.

One thing that doesn't bother me in the way it does others is that Sol doesn't appear to have a life or arc outside of saving Sun-Jae. And that's because the whole premise of the show is that she is skipping around between past, present, and future so she can prevent Sun-Jae's death. Girl doesn't have time for anything else! So although I guess it would be nice if the writer had replaced the IB and SBF scenes with ones where Present Day Sol advocated for accessibility at her workplace, or Past Sol discovered some deeper self-knowledge not related to her feelings for Sun-Jae, I don't think it's a problem with the narrative that she's laser-focused on rescuing him and he her for that matter. In fact, if the show had made this more about a journey of self-discovery for Sol, I don't think it would have been as charming, fun, and certainly not as romantic as it is now.

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Sun Sol are somehow just strumming the right cords! We can anticipate almost each gag, the second hand embarrassment is sky high but still we're stuck making heart eyes to them. 😍❤🥰

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Sun Sol are so uncomplicated once you take out the might-get-murdered time travel stuff, those two goofy kids just adore each other and that's it.

Of course it's cheesy, but in a 'this is a really nice pizza' way, their chemistry is the spice that saves the cheese from being totally cloying.

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I like your analogy. 🍕 Not much nutritional food value, way too cheesy but yummy 😋 in a way that makes the heart happy. 💖

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honestly their chemistry is what makes the entire thing for me, without it (and without these two leads, specifically Kim Hye-yoon) it'd be just another forgettable romcom but they have the kind of spark that elevates it.

LR is 2024's King The Land/Business Proposal for me, but I think I like it far more than the former and at least as much as the latter, maybe even a bit more.

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😂 Fair comparison. Their chemistry is quite special. I believe they have been offered another drama together. 😊❤

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!!! is this true??!!! And I thought that brilliant edit of KHY and BWS's scenes from their sageuk dramas into a remake of Goong (the only remake that drama ever needs) was all we were ever going to get for a round II!

(my immediate 'YES PLEASE!!!' response is being tempered by 'only if it's as good as this one' and 'hmm they might want to move on to other roles and not be typecast' but if an offer was indeed made, looks like fans aren't the only ones who recognise the power of their chemistry 😊)

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@pogo1 I think they are also aware of the sky high expectations after LR and would choose any future work carefully.

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I started watching over the last couple of weeks, just caught up and I agree with this assessment - yes, none of it is new but that's the point of tropes, well-executed ones are no less great for being tropes (and also this drama basically rests entirely on Sol/Sunjae, they're basically the light of my drama week and I'm fine with the focus staying on them as a couple+ their efforts to be together/protect each other, with a side of In-hyuk please because I find him super charming and a good bff to Sun-jae. LESS of Idiot Bro and Screechy Best Friend, thanks!)

I also agree that Terminator Cabbie Villain is a weakness, because his scenes are focused on exactly one thing and play out exactly one way - I understand his function as a story element to heighten tension or give Sol/Sun-jae a common enemy, but I do think it gets repetitive when 34Sol's noble idiocy comes into play the exact same way every single time. Understandable? From a character pov, yes, but from a viewer pov it's frustrating and a drag - obviously she can't tell Sun-jae everything, but ....she tells him nothing "for his own good" and it just ends up hurting him more.

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So glad you're enjoying the drama.

There are many Sol-34 apologists (me included) but viewed objectively as a viewer the noble idiocy repeated ad nauseum can be pretty frustrating. However, in this drama it is used as a plot point as each time this well-worn trope actually drives the narrative further.

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I give it this, it at least reinforces the point that Sol-34's I'll-be-bait-for-murderer (with vague warnings to cops because she can't even tell them she has a concrete need for protection) noble idiocy is, well, idiocy.

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Bingo! Noble or not or (misguided) use as plot point it is very much still idiocy. Just like an overused amnesia plot multiple times in a drama, the noble idiocy used multiple times dilutes its impact and makes it look more idiotic at every repetition.

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Thank you for lovely recap @dramaddictally. I'm a bit irked that the writer has not provided growth to the FL's character as well. Needless to say, I was annoyed by Im Sol lying to Sun Jae and getting off the train. On the other hand, these two episodes were just too cute. I really enjoyed the scenes with our three guys. Tae-sung is just too perfect! He's a great friend and just love that about him!

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BTW - the scene of In Hyuk and Tae-sung on the boat - hilarious! Tae-sung being extra! and In-Hyuk being a good friend to Sun-jae. Loved it!

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In-hyuk/Sun-jae is my favourite non-SunSol relationship in this series, I just find him so charming as a character, credit to Lee Seung-hyub for that

(Thank goodness he isn't the actual second lead because that syndrome would have got me if In-hyuk liked Sol too)

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In Hyuk and Sun-Jae are indeed a match made in heaven. Initially I was under the impression that they are childhood friends, especially since he called himself as the second son of Sun-Jae's father. His imagination of how he would convince Sun-Jae to sing after cutting his hair to prove his sincerity was just as makjang as Sun-Jae's wild imagination of Sol - Tae Sung's interactions.

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💯 Thank God for small mercies that In Hyuk has no romantic interest in Sol.

Apparently Byeon Woo-seok practiced in Lee Seung-hyub's studio while preparing for Eclipse songs for the drama.

Sudden Shower currently has 8.1 M (and counting) views on YT. 🥰

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Totally agree! I like his character too.

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This one isn't the usual noble idiocy, but a special level of sacrifice. Usually, one character would know that he is sacrificing himself for the other. In this one, San Jae has told In Sol, who is there to stop him from dying, that he is OK with dying for her. What is she supposed to do? She has to trick him and try to face the danger herself because he's told her that he will die protecting her.

Also, she can't really have sex with her boyfriend when she knows that when she goes back to her original timeline, her younger self won't even know she's been dating this guy. It would be absolutely wild to wake up and find out that you were having sex with someone you barely know. Wild in a bad way, even if your man was played by Byun Woo-seok!

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The goat-triggered strawberry toss was so OTT. I've never seen anyone fall backwards like that from a sitting to a supine position. Did her core muscles just give out completely from the intense shock of seeing the goat saunter past (and not for the first time that day)? It just felt like a lazy (or at least a bit clumsy) setup for adding a dash of sexual tension.

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Poor goat got startled too and went back into the pen himself 😄

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That goat is the GOAT. I mean, for the scriptwriters! What a gimmick.

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🙌

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One future variable Sol is not considering is Tae-Sung, who is also aware of the predicament, and she has asked him to protect Sun-Jae in 2023.

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I was randomly wondering whether Sun-34 could travel back but maybe Tae-34 can!?

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So a beanie posted on the wall that fate is messing with Sol, if she didnt get off the train she wouldnt meet the killer. And this is why i dont like time travel plots! Theyre too busy chasing the future visions and all the possibilities instead of living in the present. Sun Jae had survived the last attack, though still unconscious i thought Sol shouldve have stayed with him, helped him recover and figure out how to catch the killer in that timeline instead of starting all over. So frustrating!
Yet theyre still So Cute, so yeah.. see you on Monday.

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Unraveling the "logic" of time travel plots is perhaps impossible especially with the ever changing future, how does that even work. Elinor has a very good explanation in the comments above.

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A little late to the party but I thought I will put it out there. I loved loved loved the seaside moments. The carefree playfulness, bonding and the quartet hanging out together was some of the best things I have watched. The leads - they continue to glow on the screen. I loved how Sunjae tells In Hyuk that he is nervous about changing track. I love how Tae gives way to Sunjae, even though it's evident he carries a candle for her. It's adorable.

Did I love everything? No. Like all other dramas, some things are starting to grate. The bathroom scene had no purpose. Similarly, the brother and the screech friend - they are such terrible additions to such an adorable casting otherwise. I wasn't a fan of the whole condom scene. It wasn't funny but I didn't mind.

The best part was the car, haha! It was sooo funny.

I loved that Sunjae now knows about Sol. It gives their romance a rare edge. Did they do it? My bet is yes, the condom scene was that gentle nudge towards the inevitable - the bed, and the room, and them lying down....etc etc.

BSW is killing it with his expressions. His sadness at being alone on the train was palpable. Good actors elevate even the most mundane plots and this is what happened here too.

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Why not carry a torch?🤗😊

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I think of it more as a simmering, flickering flame, constantly burning within the wax of his heart. Nothing overwhelming , but a soft warm light but that could have had the capacity of cause a conflagration if given a chance.

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"Good actors elevate even the most mundane plots".

💯 what is engaging is not anything new or unseen but well-worn OTP tropes done well. Baked to that perfect golden glow.

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On the train at the end, Sol says "I'll get home by myself" which she should not have been able to say if she was really sol-19 just woken up- she would need to at least ask where the train was!
Smart SJ could certainly work this out in time to get out at the next stop. Especially since he can tell when she is lying.
Very disappointing that they are still trying to set up dramatic tension by having our leads hide things from each other, instead of letting our two leads work together

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Such a good point. Never struck me even after so many days. 😭 Hope Sun-Jae has faster reflexes. 🙌

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I wondered why he didn’t just call Taesung over as she would have responded better seeing him there. Also SJ’s tears may have been tears of disappointment because he knew what she was doing despite all their conversations.

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Am I alone in thinking - sorry as I couldn’t read all of the comments - that the last shot of the ep 12 which is a possible“preview” of ep 13 is of Sol in the 2023 winter coat and has an angle which seems to suggest that she is sitting?

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Yes, I agree, looks like she is sitting again. Which is sort of sad.

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Highly likely.

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Have they ever explained why Eclipse has not performed for 5 years? They mentioned in the first episode that it was their first live concert in five years...Also, what was the reason that Sun-jae stopped communicating with his best friend? What has happened to Im-Sol's father?

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I don't think they've explained any of those things fully. There was a suggestion that Eclipse's lack of group activity was due to SJ doing more acting than music, but the timing would also fit with the guys taking a break for their military service, as so many groups have done. (It tracks with 2PM's 4-year hiatus, just as SJ's solo piano number in a drapey white shirt reminded me of Junho in concert.) The tension between SJ and In-hyuk in the first episode seemed to be caused at least partly by SJ's reduced commitment to the band, which is still the others' main focus.

Sol's father's death hasn't been mentioned much, but no one seems traumatized about it.

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"SJ's solo piano number in a drapey white shirt reminded me of Junho in concert." 🙌

Coo ... so I'm not the only one who thought that. ❤😊

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Just want to echo these words of our dramabeans founder, @javabeans -
"I’d like to root for both Sun-jae and Tae-sung to have all of the happiness, without creating a winner or loser in these shipping wars."

Well said, javabeans

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Words of wisdom indeed. Just as expected from the OG Dramabean!! 😍 🙌

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This drama has a 9.8 rating on Viki, and I just don't understand why. I dropped it after 2 episodes because I dislike the FL's mannerisms. It's just not a prototype I enjoy watching. I also thought it was a cop out on the whole "FL is handicapped" story, as it almost immediately "fixed" the FL's handicap, and it seemed that the "redo" would fix things for both leads.

The one thing I did really like, which almost tempted me to keep watching - the ML and the 2nd ML. Really liked both of their characters and the actors. Oh that this were a BL drama! I'd watch it for sure.

This site only reviews Kdramas, which is too bad because among the churned out same-old-same-old mediocre crap, there have been some excellent Cdramas this year, including Will Love in Spring, which actually has a handicapped FL who is strong, smart, independent and very likeable - both she and the ML are flawed individuals, but the drama does a wonderful job exploring their imperfections and making them sympathetic, understandable, relatable and likeable.

Then there was Blossoms in Adversity, another drama with a powerful and highly likable FL, and - gasp - constant communication between her and the ML!! Every potential misunderstanding was immediately brought up and discussed. If a separation followed, it was a deliberate, understandable decision made after communication, and lasted until they realized by a subsequent event that the fault/flaw was forgivable compared to life without the other. And THAT was also immediately communicated to the other. Refreshing!

Not only was the FL powerful, but it was a drama about an entire family of women who had to become strong and independent after the men of the family were banished.

This year has been a weak one for Kdramas so far, though. In My Opinion, of course. I haven't been impressed with anything in 2024, and have dropped almost everything I've started. Some were good until the very end, when - the fatal flaw of Kdramas - the writers just couldn't "stick the landing." Too many last-minute crises that detracted from the main storyline and caused a rushed ending, and/or too many unresolved, unexplained and/or inconsistent storylines at the end (The Midnight Studio). Or - for me personally - unlikable and/or boring lead characters (Queen of Tears) or bad acting (ML in Doctor Slump). Or so many repetitions of the same scenarios that I am SMH over why they didn't make an interesting and non-repetitive drama with fewer episodes (Missing Crown Prince - seriously, how many times have we seen the catch-escape-recatch-re-escape scenario repeated now?? And I heard it's 20 episodes. Should have been 10).

I think this is just going to be a mediocre year of Kdramas.

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I think you make some interesting points which would fit better on an Open thread or What we’re watching post where anyone can see and respond than on a drama specific post where only those watching or looking at the beanie tab for site wide comments will see it.

There are regular laments that DB doesn’t cover non K-dramas and I wonder why similar sites have not developed covering J and C dramas when there are blogs out there that cover them and so many want to share their thoughts on the good and bad in a community. MDL seems to be the only place for all the dramalands.

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It's okay, you don't have to like a drama just because it's popular and you may not get why. I have the same issue with queen of tears but popularity is something related to what type of dramas audience wants at a point of time and not necessarily linked to quality. But I would suggest you watch dramas that actually promote the type of characters or storyline you want instead of wasting time on dramas that never advertised it to begin with. That's why I have to disagree with everything you said. LR isn't about disabled fl or disability nor it was advertised as such, it was promoted as a silly fantasy time travel drama. So you can't really complain about that. And Fl character in it seemed really okay to me, and objectively speaking ML acting in doctor slump may not be his best performance but that certainly wasn't bad acting. Queen of tears characters weren't boring just the storyline went to a soap operas route for me.. But I do agree with you with the too many last minute drama addition in the last episodes. Though I personally liked 2024 kdramas because they are providing different types of genres but also giving the 2016,17 kdramas vibe which I like. I'm the type of watcher who just enjoys them without much social or thought provoking themes, I do occasionally watch that type of dramas but I need these type for silly comfort maybe that's why I enjoyed this year's dramas. So I suggest you to try to watch those dramas that actually promote the type you want so that you won't get disappointed.

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But why does she have premonitions now? I'm binge watching this, so maybe I missed some parts, but did she have also these premonitions in the episodes so far?

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Seems like a consequence of the butterfly effect. Sol-34's actions in the past change her future and hence her "memories" of past events - which as yet to happen in the past timeline she's currently in - get updated.

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So here is something that I don't understand. We see how she notices Sun Jae's watch and returns to the past and we see how she avoids meeting Sun Jae for the first time, and now, in the present, they don't know each other. Also, she can walk.
So what happened to her abduction attempts? Was she abducted again and managed to escape before being injured? Was she careful to avoid going out that day? Did she manage to avoid meeting the killer at all, and thus, if he doesn't know her, he has no reason to be obsessed with her for so many years?
Also, even if Sun Jae didn't know her, he would still be injured after the swimming competition and change careers. How comes he isn't depressed any more?
I've been thinking and I realized that, because he knew her the first time (even if she didn't remember their encounter), he wrote the song and became a singer. Without that song, it seems he took up acting and his career is sailing smoothly (even if I fail to understand how the existence of the song, in his first life, lead to bitterness between the members of Eclipse).
In her original life, when she was paralyzed, she didn't realize Sun Jae was her neighbour. When he called her and encouraged her, he knew who she was, but she had no idea about him.
So her idea of disappearing from his life was no good, because he could have known her without her being aware of him.
As regards fate, she really seems to be convinced she can control fate and people's lives, instead of relying more on her friends and also taking into account what Sun Jae says and wants.

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Sol's "trick" of avoiding to meet Sun-Jae does seem to have worked for these past 15 years. It does appear that both Sun Sol are living happily without knowing each other. Although Sol and apparently her Halemoni too have memories of the past timeline, Sun-Jae appears to have lived without any interaction with Sol. However with their meeting now, Sun-Jae's memories of the past timelines seems to have been triggered.

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