Number of episodes: 16
Released Year: 2024
Main Plot:
Lovely Runner is a touching Korean drama about Im Sol, a devoted fan of idol Ryu Sun-jae. After an accident leaves her unable to walk, Sun-jae’s kind words give her hope. When Sun-jae dies suddenly, Sol mysteriously travels back in time to her high school years. Determined to rewrite the past, she tries to save him from a tragic fate. This story blends romance, time travel, and heartfelt moments of hope and healing.
EPISODE 1 : The Idol and Fan Who Preserved Her Life
Im Sol’s story starts on a gloomy day in July 2009. There’s excitement everywhere because of a rare eclipse, but Sol is alone in her hospital bed, overcome with sadness after losing the ability to walk following an accident. Her mother tries her best to make her smile while trimming her nails, but Sol is lost in thought, quietly suffering. When her mother leaves the room Sol sees a piece of broken glass and feeling completely hopeless, is ready to give up on everything.
Meanwhile, the music band Eclipse is rising in fame. The members are young and lively, en route to a radio show to connect with their fans. During the show, an on-air call brings the story back to Sol. She answers the phone when Ryu Sun-jae, Eclipse’s kindhearted band member calls her. Sol doesn’t recognise their music or care about prizes. She’s upset and lashes out, wanting more than anything just to walk again, thinking no one could possibly understand her pain.
Hearing her raw honesty, Sun-jae opens his heart and offers gentle encouragement. He thanks her for staying alive and urges her to keep fighting, even when things are hard, reminding her she is loved. These unexpected words move Sol deeply and for the first time in a while, she cries not out of despair, but from feeling understood.
Time quickly flows forward to 2022. Sol is a changed person and Eclipse’s biggest fan. Her room is a cheerful shrine of posters, photos, and fan merchandise, all dedicated to Sun-jae, who’s now her most excellent comfort. Today is special: she’s about to see her first-ever Eclipse concert and she’s bursting with excitement.
The day is a blur of little adventures. Sol tries to retrieve a precious watch from her mischievous grandmother, dealing with her playful family’s antics. Later, her friend Hyun-joo picks her up and together they talk about high school memories and crushes, Sol joking that she never noticed Sun-jae back then even though they attended neighboring schools.
At the concert venue, Sol’s happiness bubbles over as she meets another friend and snaps fan photos. But reality hits the joys of the moment are tested by snide comments from other fans and a sudden call for a job interview. Believing she has time before the concert starts Sol goes to the interview, only to be turned away because the building isn’t wheelchair accessible.
On her way back, a series of unlucky moments, including traffic, a lost ticket, and arriving late mean Sol can’t get into the concert hall. But she’s undeterred. From outside the venue, she listens to Sun-jae’s voice floating on the night air feeling just as connected as any fan inside. She’s especially touched when Sun-jae sings the very song that helped her through her most challenging times, a song about finding someone special by chance.
Episode 2:The Hidden Teen Crush of Sun-jae
Episode 2 of Lovely Runner continues right after where Episode 1 ended. It is raining, and Im Sol is crying alone outside. Sun-jae sees her and kindly shares his umbrella. He asks why she’s so sad. This makes Sol remember how he asked the same question when they met in the future. The more she remembers, the more she cries, and some students start to look at them, guessing they might be fighting. To give her privacy, Sun-jae takes her to wait under a nearby building.
Under the shelter Sol feels shy and keeps looking at Sun-jae. He, on the other hand, wonders why she is acting strange. Sol explains that she is a fan of his swimming and even says he reminds her of her old dog, Otter, who was also a great swimmer. Sol finds it hard to believe her own story, and Sun-jae doesn’t quite believe her either. He gives her back a watch that she had given him earlier. The watch makes Sol remember her embarrassing words from the day before, so she quickly grabs his umbrella and runs away.
Back in class, Sol acts very excited to see her classmates even though she just met some of them recently. They ask her what’s wrong with her and her friend Hyun-joo grows worried because Sol suddenly left the class without warning.
At home, Sol’s mother is cleaning and talking with her neighbour Ms Kwon. They talk about problems like renting out the house next door and a funny misunderstanding about a movie rental. Sol’s brother Im Geum is practicing lines for an actor role while they all chat.
At school, Sol can’t focus, thinking deeply about her time travel and how the watch is connected. She presses a button on the watch, hoping for another time jump, but nothing happens. When the teacher calls her to solve a math problem, Sol says she has stomach pain and is sent to the infirmary. But instead of resting, she decides to visit Sun-jae’s school.
At the school gym, Sol sees Sun-jae from afar, but then she smells cigarette smoke nearby. Curious, she goes to check and finds some boys smoking. She tries to stop them, but then a boy named Tae-sung appears and scares the smokers away. Tae-sung seems strong and protective but Sol still tries to step in.
Suddenly, more bullies arrive, and the situation gets dangerous. Tae-sung quickly grabs Sol’s arm and tells her to run with him. They both narrowly escape and find a safe place to hide from the bullies.
The episode shows Sol’s determination to protect Sun-jae and change the future, even if it means facing tough challenges. Meanwhile, new friendships and feelings start to form and the story grows deeper with surprises about their pasts and connections.
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