Lovely Runner- Episodes 7-8
The Day of The Accident
Episode 7 of Lovely Runner takes us on a whirlwind journey, answering burning questions while creating even more intrigue. We revisit the pivotal night of Im Sol’s accident before her time-travel adventure began, unearthing a darker and more harrowing truth than we ever expected.
The Night of the Accident
The episode starts with a flashback to the fateful night. Im Sol, exhausted, falls asleep on the bus and misses her stop. Sun-jae, hesitating to wake her, follows his friend In-hyuk’s advice to walk her home and spend time with his crush. But fate has other plans. As Im Sol disembarks at the next stop, Sun-jae stays behind to collect his fallen belongings, only to realize too late that she’s already left.
Alone in the rain, Im Sol considers taking a taxi but becomes suspicious of the driver when she notices a rope and other sinister items in the car. Pretending her mom is coming to pick her up doesn’t deter him; he forcibly kidnaps her. Meanwhile, Sun-jae rushes to the stop where Im Sol got off, but by the time he arrives, she’s gone.
Im Sol wakes up in the car, seizing an opportunity to escape while the driver steps out. Armed with a razor she finds inside the vehicle, she cuts her bindings and bolts, the driver hot on her heels. As she nears the reservoir, Sun-jae appears, running toward her. But before she can reach him, the driver accelerates, hitting her and sending her into the water. In a heroic display, Sun-jae dives in to save her, only to be attacked by the driver. An intense fight ensues, and Sun-jae holds the perpetrator down until the police arrive.
Back to the Present
Back in the present timeline, Sun-jae finds Im Sol’s iconic yellow umbrella abandoned on the road and immediately senses something is wrong. He rushes to her home, where her brother Im Geum shares that she’s been acting strange and refusing to leave the house all day. Sun-jae recalls the events at the reservoir and realizes the significance of the day. But when Im Geum insists that his sister never had an accident, Sun-jae is left questioning everything.
Determined to protect her, he heads back to the reservoir. At the same time, Im Sol uses her newfound memories to escape the cab once again. This time, she remembers to grab the keys to slow her pursuer down, but the driver relentlessly chases her in his truck. Sun-jae spots her just as she falls, calling out her name moments before she’s about to be struck. In a miraculous turn, another car intervenes, forcing the attacker to flee. The watch on Im Sol’s wrist glitches, its countdown shifting from “2” to “1.” Exhausted and disoriented, she collapses, failing to recognize Sun-jae.
A New Future Unfolds
The scene shifts dramatically, and we find Im Sol in what appears to be the Joseon era—until it’s revealed she’s simply on the set of a K-drama. In this altered future, Im Sol is thriving as a professional in the film industry that once rejected her. Sun-jae, now a famous star, is the top choice to headline her company’s next big project. However, fate continues to twist their paths in unexpected ways.
Im Sol returns to the present on the day she and Sun-jae had promised to open their time capsule. Unfortunately, she arrives too late, and Sun-jae, unaware of her presence, unearths the capsule alone and takes it home. Grateful that Sun-jae is alive and seemingly happy, Im Sol watches from afar. But danger isn’t entirely gone—a stalker dressed like Im Sol attempts to break into Sun-jae’s apartment, leading to a comedy of errors that lands Im Sol at the police station, mistaken for the intruder.
Misunderstandings and Missteps
The chaos escalates as Sun-jae’s team, unaware of Im Sol’s true identity, assumes she’s a crazed fan infiltrating the industry to get closer to him. Im Sol, meanwhile, has vivid nightmares about Sun-jae in danger and wrestles with her lingering feelings for him. A series of comical and bittersweet missteps brings them closer but keeps them just out of sync.
At a fateful meeting arranged to clear the air, a series of interruptions—including Hyun-woo going into labor—prevents Im Sol and Sun-jae from recognizing each other. Sun-jae, unknowingly pushed into a fountain by Im Sol, becomes even more frustrated when his manager wrongly identifies her as the stalker. This misunderstanding snowballs, with legal threats flying and Sun-jae deciding to sue out of spite after a cheeky text exchange with Im Sol.
A Tense Reunion
As the episode builds to its climax, Im Sol learns about Sun-jae’s postponed end-of-year concert and decides it’s her last chance to make amends. After a failed attempt to enter the venue, she pleads with Sun-jae’s manager to deliver a bouquet and a heartfelt message to him. While waiting outside, she hears Sun-jae’s emotional performance, bringing back memories of their time together.
In a desperate bid to avoid history repeating itself, Im Sol returns to the bridge where Sun-jae once saved her. Torn between wanting him to show up and fearing for his safety, she’s on the verge of giving up when Sun-jae appears. Their reunion is poignant yet laced with urgency, as his manager insists he leave for the after-party. In a moment of desperation, Im Sol blurts out a bold request: for Sun-jae to spend the night with her.
Time Passes Again!
Lovely Runner delivers its most emotional and tension-packed episode yet, pulling us deeper into the lives of Sun-jae and Im Sol while setting the stage for yet another devastating twist. Episode 8 is a rollercoaster of love, misunderstandings, and looming danger that keeps us glued to the screen.
Sun-jae and the Time Capsule
The episode begins with a flashback to a few months before January 1, 2023. Unable to wait any longer, Sun-jae unearths the time capsule early, practicing how to act cool when he meets Im Sol again. Inside, he finds a heartfelt letter and a watch from Im Sol, thanking him and subtly reminding him to keep moving forward. Touched, Sun-jae’s anticipation grows, but as we already know, they miss each other on the promised day.
The Reunion at the Bridge
Back to the present timeline, after the concert and rumors swirling about Sun-jae’s absence at the after-party, he meets Im Sol at the bridge. She surprises him by asking to spend the night together, and Sun-jae, ever the gentleman, cancels his plans to be with her. What follows is a mix of sweet, awkward, and hilariously misconstrued moments as they navigate their reconnection.
At a hotel lounge bar, Sun-jae and Im Sol pretend they didn’t try to dig up the time capsule, both secretly grateful to be together. Their night is interrupted by rumors online about Sun-jae’s whereabouts, prompting a call from In-hyuk warning him of paparazzi outside. Sun-jae decides to leave Im Sol behind for her safety, but she has other plans. Using her yellow umbrella, she shields them both as they run from the cameras, reigniting their playful connection.
At Sun-jae’s Place
The duo heads to Sun-jae’s apartment, where hilarity ensues. Im Sol, under the pretense of needing the bathroom, snoops around his home, marveling at his belongings. Things get increasingly awkward when Sun-jae scrambles to hide a risqué anime standee left by In-hyuk. A series of misunderstandings follows, from Im Sol pretending to fall asleep to spilling soup on herself, leading to a shared moment in Sun-jae’s room. Just as the tension reaches its peak, In-hyuk storms in, drunk and chaotic, ruining the mood.
Hidden in Sun-jae’s closet, Im Sol overhears In-hyuk confront him about his lingering feelings for her. It’s revealed that Sun-jae has been carrying a torch for Im Sol all along, visiting the time capsule spot and reminiscing about her. Embarrassed, Sun-jae ushers In-hyuk out and finds Im Sol looking at the time capsule. She recalls her past trauma, admitting she pushed him away because seeing him reminded her of the kidnapping. Sun-jae drives her home, where she confesses that she missed him and had feelings for him all along.
The Kiss and Its Aftermath
As Im Sol heads inside, Sun-jae processes her words before running after her. He stops her from closing the door, asking if she still feels the same way. She nods, and they share a passionate kiss, only to be interrupted by mechanics fixing the pipes at her house. Im Sol quickly hides Sun-jae, pretending he’s her brother. As Sun-jae leaves, he fails to notice the cab driver lurking nearby.
The two are blissfully giddy afterward, grinning as they go about their day. However, Im Sol’s happiness is cut short when she learns that her brother, Im-geum, lost all their savings in a failed business deal. Hyun-joo is furious but admits to Im Sol that she wouldn’t change her life, even if she could go back and alter her fate.
A New Threat Looms
Later, Sun-jae calls Im Sol, asking why she gave him the watch. She explains that it symbolizes her wish for him to keep moving forward. Sun-jae flirts, saying time feels meaningful now that she’s back in his life. They make plans to meet again, but a series of missed calls keeps them from connecting. When Im Sol heads to pick up her car from Sun-jae’s place, she spots someone resembling the cab driver. Though it turns out to be a false alarm, the encounter leaves her uneasy.
Meanwhile, Sun-jae receives a strange call from a friend asking for his room number. There’s a knock at his door, but the caller insists they haven’t arrived yet. This eerie moment sets the stage for disaster.
The Cliffhanger
While Im Sol talks to a young stalker about the dangers of obsession, breaking news interrupts their conversation. Sun-jae has been attacked by the cab driver who recently got out of prison. The report reveals that Sun-jae is fighting for his life in surgery. Im Sol, devastated and guilt-stricken, falls to her knees, questioning how everything went so horribly wrong.
DramaZen's Opinion
Lovely Runner – Heartbreak, Hope, and OMG That Chemistry
First off—noooooo! Poor Sun-jae! But let’s all take a deep breath and remember: we’re only halfway through, and time travel is in play. My faith in Im Sol and her ability to rewrite fate is unshakable, so I’m holding back the tears until we know for sure. Optimism over anguish, right? (For now, anyway.)
But can we talk about the absolute masterpiece of tonal shifts this drama just pulled off? The way it transitioned from sweet, awkward reconnections to gut-wrenching suspense was chef’s kiss. And the actors—holy wow. They’re so convincing as goofy teens and then completely believable as smoldering adults with unresolved tension that could melt steel. I’ll admit, during some of those high school scenes, I thought, Hmm, is it getting spicy, or am I imagining things?Nope, I wasn’t imagining it. They were setting us up for all the delicious chemistry we’re now seeing. And let me tell you, it was worth it.
The buildup of their bond has been nothing short of stellar. Watching Sun-jae and Im Sol reconnect after years apart feels like the payoff we’ve been waiting for—and it delivers. That scene on the bridge? “It’s me.” That’s all he says. It’s me.Excuse me while I scream into a pillow because my heart cannot handle the emotional weight of that moment. I am buying everything they’re selling. These two are IT.
But can we please stay in the present timeline for a bit? Let’s soak in all the kissing and mutual pining without the looming threat of time travel drama—or, you know, a serial killer on the loose. Speaking of which, can the creepy cab driver please get off the screen so we can get back to swooning over Sun-jae and Im Sol? Is that too much to ask?
Bottom line: this episode was an emotional rollercoaster in the best possible way. The stakes are higher than ever, the romance is perfection, and I’m fully invested in both the love story and the race against fate. Lovely Runner, you’ve got me hooked—again. Just don’t break my heart, okay?
