“Lovel Runner,” starring Byeon Woo-seok, Kim Hye-yoon, Song Geon-hee and N.Flying’s Lee Seung-hyub, is one of the most discussed K-dramas online. Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon are also gaining attention for their chemistry as a couple on the show.
“Lovel Runner” tells the story of Ryu Sun-jae, a famous star, who loses his life due to the difficulties he encounters behind his glamorous life. His sudden disappearance turns the life of Im Sol, one of his biggest fans, upside down. Having the opportunity to travel through time, Im Sol devotes all his efforts to protecting Ryu Sun-jae from events that could cause his death.
First trip down memory lane: Im Sol meets teenager Ryu Sun-jae
In the second episode of “Lovely Runner”, Im Sol travels to the past for the first time, in 2007, thanks to Ryu Sun-jae’s watch that she bought at an auction in the present. She then discovers with surprise that Ryu Sun-jae lived right across the street from her house. As a fan, Im Sol is doing everything possible to avoid events that could lead to his death in 2023.
Second trip to the past: Im Sol discovers that Ryu Sun-jae is his savior
In episode 3 of “Lovely Runner”, Im Sol successfully returned to 2007. Im Sol and Ryu Sun-jae took photos together, which served as evidence of the changes in the present. Additionally, Im Sol found out that Ryu Sun-jae was the one who saved her life during the tragic incident where she was kidnapped by Kim Young-soo. This incident resulted in paralysis of both legs, destroying her dream of becoming a director. Kim Young-soo was arrested by the police.
Im Sol also discovered that Ryu Sun-jae had feelings for her and wrote the breakthrough song “Sudden Rain” especially for her as a member of the group Eclipse. In episode 7 of “Lovely Runner”, Im Sol returns to the present in 2023, where her legs are in perfect condition thanks to the changes in the past. She landed a job in the entertainment industry by becoming a producer.
Im Sol reunited with Ryu Sun-jae after 15 years, and this time, they had shared many memories from the past. Im Sol finally accepted her feelings for Ryu Sun-jae and believed that she had avoided her fate of being kidnapped by Kim Young-soo. However, Kim Young-soo had served his prison sentence and returned to take revenge on Ryu Sun-jae. Kim Young-soo stabbed Ryu Sun-jae, and Im Sol learned about it through the news.
Third trip to the past: Ryu Sun-jae discovers the truth about Im Sol
The third trip to the past took place in episode 9 of “Lovely Runner”, when Im Sol returned to 2009, where she revisited her college days with Ryu Sun-jae. She was devastated to find that nothing had changed despite her efforts, and this time she decided to avoid him. However, Ryu Sun-jae understood that she was from the future and convinced her that it was okay if he died saving her. They went on a trip to Baek In-hyuk’s hometown, where Im Sol had flashes of Kim Young-soo following her.
Im Sol coordinated with the police to catch Kim Young-soo, but once again, fate had other plans for her. Kim Young-soo managed to stab Ryu Sun-jae again while he was trying to save Im Sol. Seeing Ryu Sun-jae on the stretcher, she rushed to him and pressed the buttons on the watch. This took her back to 2007, where she decided to never cross his path and lived alone for 15 years.
In episode 14 of “Lovely Runner,” Ryu Sun-jae has become a big star again while Im Sol works in a production house. However, this time, Ryu Sun-jae didn’t recognize her. Im Sol wrote the script for a melo-romantic film inspired by his time travel experience, which was accidentally proposed to Ryu Sun-jae. Given her experience, she acted coldly towards him so that he wouldn’t die this time because of her. Im Sol was satisfied that her favorite idol, Ryu Sun-jae, was alive, although her love remained incomplete.
According to the episode 15 preview, Kim Young-soo has not been arrested yet, while Im Sol is keeping his distance from Ryu Sun-jae. Apparently, Ryu Sun-jae should regain his memory with Im Sol. “Lovely Runner” airs every Monday and Tuesday on tvN and TVING at 20:50 p.m. KST.