Way Back Love- Episodes 1-2

Mischief, Mayhem, and One Massive Twist

Way Back Love kicks off with a bang—and some very aggressive knocking. Jung Hee Wan is holed up in her apartment, hiding from the world, when none other than Kim Ram Woo shows up at her door. The moment is tense, quiet… eerie even. But just as we’re about to get answers, the story yanks us back in time.

Enter high school Hee Wan: a total whirlwind. She’s the kind of student who could sell chaos as an extracurricular. Charming, mischievous, and loud in all the right ways, she’s got her classmates hooked on her daily dose of pranks—and her livestreams. She’s also got guts. When she sees some bullies harassing a kid outside, she chucks chocolate milk at them like it’s a grenade. It’s messy, chaotic, and hilarious. But in her hasty escape, she drops a name-tag—Ram Woo’s. Suspicious.

Kim Ram Woo, meanwhile, is the total opposite: the quiet, keep-to-himself transfer student who just wants to blend in. But that’s not going to happen—not with Hee Wan around. She ropes him into a prank, convincing him to swap name-tags so they can confuse their student teacher. He’s not thrilled, but he plays along. And just like that, the two of them are stuck in each other’s orbit.

The chaos escalates when the earlier bullies come back for round two—only this time, they’re after Ram Woo because of the name-tag switch. Hee Wan and Ram Woo draw fake tattoos on their arms to look like tiny delinquents. When the bullies threaten to call their parents, the duo spin a tragic lie: they’re both orphans. It’s ridiculous, and it works. The bullies back off, shaken. Mission accomplished. Sort of.

Later, Ram Woo’s friend Hong-suk spots the fake tattoos and raises an eyebrow. Turns out, those marker tats aren’t washing off anytime soon. Add to that, Hee Wan (ever the gremlin) has rented a stack of risqué manga under Ram Woo’s name and plastered a list of "borrowers" across school. The guy is mortified.

But wait, there’s more: Hee Wan shows up at school with a mysterious package. It’s the package Ram Woo unknowingly delivered the night before—full of frilly underwear. Apparently, it was a joke gift for her friend Tae-kyung, but Ram Woo is convinced she’s up to something shady. He confronts her, and she promises to keep quiet about it… if he agrees to keep switching names. She swears it’s brought her good luck. Ram Woo, not so much.

The school faculty eventually catches on, and while Hee Wan’s dad is furious, Ram Woo’s mom is more amused than anything. Turns out, both families live in the same building. Hee Wan’s dad even owns a restaurant downstairs and welcomes them with open arms—and free food.

Back at school, Hee Wan’s feelings for Ram Woo are becoming more obvious. She gets jealous when she finds out someone’s been secretly leaving gifts in his locker. She denies it’s her, of course. But then that night, all dressed up, she goes to meet a “buyer.” Spoiler: it’s Ram Woo. Their little cat-and-mouse flirtation is turning into something real.

Just when things feel light and sweet, the show hits us with a gut-punch.

Flash forward six years. The energy shifts. Gone are the warm colors and bubbly antics. The tone is cold. Hee Wan is withdrawn, her apartment half-packed and full of dust. She looks like she’s been through hell—and then some. Ram Woo walks in, opening the windows, checking on her. It’s clear: something’s broken between them.

Then comes the twist: they never met on graduation day like they planned. In fact, they haven’t seen each other in over four years. Why?

Because Ram Woo died.

Yup. Way Back Love doesn’t just tug on your heartstrings—it rips them out by the roots. Episode 1 sets up a playful, romantic coming-of-age story, only to reveal something much darker simmering beneath.

And just like that, we’re hooked.

Grim Reapers, Awkward Love Letters, and a Ticking Clock

Episode 2 of Way Back Love wastes no time hitting us with more emotional whiplash. Ram Woo? Dead. Hee Wan? Next. Yep, the guy who just showed up at her door in the present isn’t just her long-lost high school crush—he’s a Grim Reaper now, and he’s here to tell her she has exactly 176 hours, 12 minutes, and 35 seconds left to live. Not ominous at all.

Hee Wan does what any sane person would do when their dead ex appears out of nowhere claiming she’s next: she freaks out. We’re talking full-on fire extinguisher to the face, Buddhist hymns, the works. But Ram Woo isn’t budging. No one else can see him, and no amount of spraying or chanting is going to change the fact that she’s on death’s list.

Meanwhile, in flashback land, we’re back in high school. Enter Bang Ji-soo, who’s got a massive crush on Ram Woo and wants Hee Wan to help her write a swoon-worthy love letter. One problem: Hee Wan’s got feelings for him too. Classic love triangle incoming.

Hee Wan tries to dodge the task (and Ji-soo) by literally running away, but Ji-soo corners her and flat-out asks if she likes Ram Woo. Hee Wan plays it cool, but her face says otherwise. Still, a promise is a promise, so she writes the letter... and makes it hilariously terrible. Think stiff wording, zero romance, and a hideous brown heart sticker. Real sabotage energy.

Back in the present, Hee Wan tries to clear her head at the pool but, surprise, Ram Woo’s still there. He reveals his big plan: a 10-item bucket list. He never got to live life fully, and now he wants to experience it through her before her time runs out. She’s skeptical at first, but the idea starts to grow on her.

Their first stop? A classical music concert. While they sit in the audience, memories start flooding back—especially one tied to that awful love letter.

Flashback again: Hee Wan, realizing she might actually care that Ji-soo is confessing, runs off to stop her… and eats pavement face-first in the schoolyard. Ouch. A rogue soccer ball to the face later, she’s knocked out cold, and Ram Woo carries her to the nurse’s office like it’s a K-drama fairy tale.

That night, Hee Wan’s fuming. Ji-soo apparently confessed in front of everyone, and now Ram Woo wants her help writing a letter to “J.S.”. Hee Wan, thinking it’s for Ji-soo, slaps on a 40,000 won price tag and grudgingly gets to work—through tears, obviously.

But plot twist! The letter isn’t for Ji-soo—it’s for Jung-sook, Ram Woo’s mom, for her birthday. The emotional whiplash is real. Hee Wan goes from devastated to ecstatic in two seconds, and even more so when she learns Ram Woo rejected Ji-soo.

Ram Woo, it turns out, has been watching Hee Wan more closely than she thought. Back in class, he noted every cheesy thing she once said she wanted to do when she fell in love—a list that mirrors the very bucket list they're ticking off in the present.

Then comes the final gut-punch: a glimpse of a funeral. It’s implied Ram Woo’s death wasn’t random—it might’ve been tied to that fateful name-tag switch all those years ago. Suddenly, all the playful high school antics have a much darker weight.

DramaZen's Opinion

Way Back Love Episodes 1 & 2 – I'm Already Obsessed! 💖

Okay, Way Back Love is officially my new favorite drama. After just two episodes, I’m laughing, crying, and completely invested in whatever chaotic plan Hee Wan and ghostly Ram Woo are about to pull off next.

Episode 1 had me hooked with its high school flashbacks—Hee Wan is an absolute menace in the best way possible, and Ram Woo’s quiet, reluctant sidekick energy is just perfect. Their chemistry? Off the charts. And then boom—plot twist. Ram Woo’s dead?? I did not see that coming!

Episode 2 takes things up a notch with that hilarious love letter mess, Hee Wan’s dramatic faceplant, and the adorable (and slightly heartbreaking) start of their bucket list adventures. The mix of comedy, romance, and supernatural angst is so good. Plus, the writing is sharp, and the pacing never drags.

If you love quirky characters, emotional twists, and the kind of storytelling that keeps you guessing, this drama is 100% worth your time. Bring on episode 3— I need it! 🥲💕