If peak romance could have a name, it definitely would be “Lovely Runner.” After a series of ups and downs between Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon) and Ryu Sun Jae (Byeon Woo Seok), their love has finally bloomed and is taking everyone by storm in this week’s episodes. Despite having a great threat looming above them, it doesn’t stop our beautiful couple from expressing their love at its best, which gifted us with some of the most romantic moments in this K-drama so far.
Warning: spoilers from episodes 11-12 below!
1. Enjoying small and daily dates together
After one of the most romantic love confessions in the history of K-dramas, the Ryu Sun Jae and Im Sol ship has finally sailed! This time around, the couple actually has the time and space to enjoy their relationship – unlike in previous episodes where their romance was cut short by tragedy. In episodes 11 and 12, we can enjoy seeing them being all lovey-dovey in their sweet college dating era. Whether it is Sun Jae’s goofiness every time he tries to get Sol’s attention during their classes, or Sol’s cuteness to amuse Sun Jae with cheesy jokes, these two make everyone’s hearts flutter, putting a smile on viewers’ faces with their loveliness.
Admittedly, despite their blissful state of happiness, both of them still have concerns of their own. In Sol’s case, it is Sun Jae’s future and safety, given that the taxi driver is still after her and could potentially attack him as well. But for Sun Jae, the imminent threat of Sol going back to the future is even more frightening than him losing his own life, which is why he makes the best out of every moment they have together. He even wishes that time would stop so they can stay together and be happy for a very long time.
2. Revealing their relationship to their families
As this couple can’t seem to have one moment of peace, a riot starts the moment their families find out about their relationship, especially since Sol’s older brother surprises them after they spent the night together watching a movie. He finds that Sun Jae has his shirt accidentally ripped off, and a bag full of condoms explodes right in front of their eyes. Naturally, both parents side with their own children; however, to the disgrace of Sun Jae’s father, Sun Jae isn’t afraid to admit that he’s the one who relentlessly pursued Sol and that he also rented an adult’s movie, albeit unknowingly.
Luckily, later on Sun Jae is able to clarify all the misunderstandings amongst them, using an almost superhuman memory to find out the real owner of the condoms and assuring Sol’s mother that he never watched the adult movie that made him look so bad in her eyes. To nobody’s surprise, the clear and unfiltered love that Sun Jae has for Sol is the best way to win his future in-law’s approval. He isn’t afraid to frankly say that there is no one more beautiful to him than Sol, confirming that he really doesn’t care about things like pride or shame when it comes to love.
3. Sun Jae singing on stage again for Sol
Despite Sun Jae not exactly having the goal of becoming an idol, it is true that he has a certain affinity towards music, and Sol is very aware of this fact as she has seen the happiness he shows in being a singer. However, she reassures him saying that no matter what he does, even if he decides to not be a celebrity, she will always support him and root for his dreams. As his future as a star is still unclear, Sun Jae gives it a shot once more. This time around, he sings for the first time his prime song “Sudden Shower,” which he composed to declare his unwavering love for Sol.
With a performance full of feelings and moving Sol to tears (and the viewers as well), he proves again that he is born to be on stage, that Eclipse wouldn’t be the same without him, and that to Sol, seeing him having a fulfilling life comes before anything. And though Sun Jae admits that singing moves his heart, the only thing he wishes for in that moment is for time to go slower, as he knows that every day he spends with Sol could be the last one before she goes back. Even with those thoughts in mind, he wonders if he could ever charm the original Sol with his singing, which isn’t all that far from reality, as future Sol fell first for idol Ryu Sun Jae, the person who gave her the strength to keep on living.
4. Going to the beach with their friends
Just as love is clearly important for Sun Jae, so is friendship, especially if it is with Baek In Hyuk (Lee Seung Hyub), who has remained by his side as the most loyal of friends in every timeline. That is why Sun Jae, Sol, and even Kim Tae Sung (Song Geon Hee) set to look for him back at his hometown after they learn about him wanting to give up on music due to an embarrassing situation during his audition. Fortunately, just as Sun Jae has received comfort and support from In Hyuk, he tells him to start afresh and embark on their journey in music, sharing every precious moment of their youth together.
On the other hand, something we can count on with Sun Jae is that he will take every chance he gets to dote on his beloved girlfriend. Once the issue with In Hyuk is settled, he takes advantage of the quick trip to the beach and makes it the perfect place for a sweet and romantic date. This also turns into the perfect place for Sol to declare her feelings one more time, making sure that Sun Jae won’t suffer so much after she is gone. With such tender words, Sun Jae has nothing more but to say he loves her for the very first time, giving us yet again one more sweet moment between these star-crossed lovers.
5. Betting everything for their happiness and safety
Since the beginning, one of Sol’s main goals was to save Sun Jae, and she is willing to give up on his affections, her safety, and even her life if it is necessary. And the same goes for Sun Jae, as he has stated before. However, after Sol has some sort of visions from the changing future, she decides that she has only one way to keep Sun Jae safe and that is by pretending to go back to the future. She is certain that her tragedy in the hands of the taxi driver is inevitable, but she will keep him safe no matter what.
Though Im Sol is thinking about everyone else first, showing that she loves Sun Jae in a pure and selfless way, she is breaking Sun Jae’s heart as well. He knows she is hiding something from him, but he is uncertain what it is. He cannot help but think that just as Sol is betting everything on his future, he is willing to bet everything he has on their love. Thus, the unavoidable decision that they make will set the course of their story, as it is possible that Sol will go back to the future soon, which would reveal the consequences of their choices. So let’s brace ourselves for what’s to come in next week’s episodes of “Lovely Runner”!
You can start watching “Lovely Runner” below!
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Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, and BOL4.
Currently watching: “Lovely Runner”
Plans to watch: “Will Love In Spring“