This article contains major spoilers for the finale of Lovely Runner. The final episodes resolve the conflict involving the serial killer and establish a stable timeline for Sol and Sun-jae.
What happens in the finale
In the final stretch of the series, Sol remains determined to keep her distance from Sun-jae in order to protect him. She rejects his advances and claims that she is in love with someone else. However, without warning, Sun-jae collapses and suddenly regains all of his memories from the previous timelines.
Disoriented by the sudden flood of memories, he walks into the middle of the road just as Detective Tae-sung is pursuing the taxi driver, who is also the serial killer. To prevent the criminal from running Sun-jae over, Tae-sung deliberately crashes his own car into the taxi. The killer then escapes on foot toward the highway, where he is struck by a truck and falls into the water. His death brings the threat to a definitive end.
After the accident, Sun-jae and Sol reunite. He reveals that he remembers every timeline they experienced together, allowing them to resume their relationship without the burden of the dangers that once surrounded them. The drama then jumps forward one month, showing the couple living a peaceful life together.
In the final moments, Sun-jae proposes to Sol beneath the cherry blossom trees. When she accepts and they kiss, they simultaneously share a vision of their future, in which they see their own wedding ceremony.
Ending explained: The meaning of the finale
Sun-jae’s sudden recovery of his memories establishes one of the main rules of the show’s universe: although the mind may forget erased timelines, the soul retains the experiences and emotions lived within them. Sun-jae’s persistent desire to be close to Sol, even before regaining any concrete memories, confirms that their emotional connection transcends changes to the timeline.
The serial killer’s death also directly mirrors the past. He dies after being struck by a vehicle and falling into the water—the same sequence of events associated with the accident that originally affected Sol. His death brings the cycle of tragedy to an end. Only after the villain is permanently removed from the story can stability return, allowing the protagonists to stop fighting against fate and finally live in the present.
Fate of the characters
Sol: She succeeds in breaking the cycle of tragedy that had followed both her and Sun-jae. After distancing herself from him in an attempt to keep him safe, she allows herself to embrace their relationship once his memories return and the threat has been eliminated. In the end, she accepts his marriage proposal.
Sun-jae: He regains all of his memories from the alternate timelines. He survives the final threat against his life and is finally able to build a future with Sol, culminating in their engagement.
Tae-sung: He moves on from his unrequited feelings for Sol and plays a decisive role as a detective. By crashing his car into the taxi, he saves Sun-jae and forces the killer to flee on foot, indirectly leading to the criminal’s death.
The Killer (Taxi Driver): He dies while attempting to escape from Tae-sung. After running onto the highway, he is struck by a truck and falls from the bridge into the water.
Explanation of the final scene
The final scene takes place beneath the cherry blossom trees, the same setting associated with Sol and Sun-jae’s connection in the past. The tradition of catching falling petals and making a wish returns, but this time it leads to the exchange of an engagement ring.
The vision of their wedding, which Sol and Sun-jae experience simultaneously as they kiss, serves as narrative confirmation that the timeline will no longer be altered. This glimpse of the future assures viewers that their fate has finally been secured and that they will be able to remain together without further tragedy.
Questions about the finale
Why did Sun-jae recover his memories?
The series suggests that Sun-jae’s experiences and feelings were preserved in his soul rather than only in his conscious mind. This allows the memories from the erased timelines to return in a sudden awakening, as though they had been buried deep within his subconscious.
What happened to the taxi driver in the end?
The criminal dies. During the police pursuit led by Tae-sung, he abandons his vehicle and runs onto the highway. He is then struck by a truck and falls into the water, permanently eliminating the threat and removing the need for any further time travel to stop him.
Source: Lovely Runner Episodes 15 and 16