Lovely Runner – K-drama Episode 12 Recap & Review

I Will Be My Hero!

Episode 12 of Lovely Runner starts with Sun-jae and Im Sol heading home after the concert. The two couldn’t be happier as they think they finally have a chance at happiness. Im Sol is glad that the police arrested Young-soo, and Sun-jae got to audition in front of  CEO Kim Seok-hyun. By all accounts, everything is perfect but then again, they are unaware that Young-soo escaped. Once they find out, their little bliss is shattered in an instant. Sun-jae starts to worry that Im Sol is in danger. 

Elsewhere, Tae-sung rushes to the hospital to see his dad. The detective took a brutal hit but will be fine.

The next day, Im Sol finds herself at the location where they found Young-soo, meeting with Tae-sung’s dad. They discuss the strategy to lure Young-soo out. The detective, concerned for her safety, suggests witness protection, but Im Sol hesitates, eager to resolve the situation swiftly. Sun-jae, eavesdropping on their conversation, is filled with a fierce determination to protect her, vowing to fight for her safety at any cost. He also asks her to keep her protection items close. As a good boyfriend, he does a quick sweep of her house and promises to seal her windows.

Meanwhile, our new lovers, Hyun-joo and Im Geum, can’t hide their feelings for each other. Im Sol and Sun-jae soon find out about their dalliance in the funniest and unexpected of ways. Of course, Im Sol is pissed at her brother and disappointed in her friend. She confesses to Sun-jae that no matter how hard she tries, the two end up together in each timeline. Sun-jae argues that maybe the two are meant to be, and Im Sol should be more supportive. 

As the days go by, Sun-jae worries more about Im Sol and In-hyuk. In-hyuk is currently MIA, so they visit his house to check on him. There, they find Tae-sung, who explains that In-hyuk went back to his village. Apparently, In-hyuk feels embarrassed after watching the singing competition show and hearing his voice crack during the performance. Out of concern, the three decide to visit In-hyuk and convince him to come back. Tae-sung offers to drive the group in his beloved new car. 

With Sun-jae gone, Gyeon-deok is left all by himself. In a funny twist of events, he accidentally locks himself in the bathroom while washing his hair. He tries to break the door but ends up breaking his arm instead. Luckily, Bok-soon hears his plea for help the next day and saves him.

Back to our three young friends, they find In-hyuk walking despondently into the sea and think he is about to commit suicide. In the rush to save him, Tae-sung forgets to park his beloved car properly, and it gets swept away in the waves. As for In-hyuk, he clarifies that he is sad but not suicidal. He takes his three friends to his house, and they enjoy a meal with his dad. The family is welcoming and happy to host them. Unfortunately, Young-soo stops by Bok-soon’s shop and overhears her conversation with Im Sol. He decides to follow the group to the seaside. 

For most of their visit, Im Sol and Sun-jae unapologetically flirt, making In-hyuk more pissed. They spend the day chasing after the family’s mischievous little lamb and playing in the ocean. Sun-jae promises to be there for In-hyuk and help him with his music career. They promise to work on the band together even though it is scary. Sun-jae is also happy that Im Sol kept her promise to visit the sea with him before she leaves. On the other hand, Tae-sung confesses his feelings for Im Sol but wishes her happiness with Sun-jae. He is such an unproblematic second lead!

While at the beach, Im Sol realises that she lost her phone, and Sun-jae offers to go with her to check where she dropped it. As they walk around town, Im Sol starts recalling strange memories. They go back to the forest to see if Im Sol dropped the phone while chasing the lamb. Luckily, they find it, but Im Sol trips. She realises that her memories have changed which can only mean her future has changed as well. Sun-jae starts to wonder why she is acting strange and asks her to feel safe enough to tell him her fears. He knows she is being secretive to protect him, but at the same time, he can’t stop worrying about her. 

The two return to the house and find Tae-sung, In-hyuk and his dad gone. Sun-jae and Im Sol were supposed to join the others for a fishing excursion, but they opted to stay back. They start flirting until Im Sol turns in. However, Sun-jae refuses to sleep alone and makes ghost noises in an effort to scare Im Sol. When this fails, he storms into her room acting scared and priming not to touch her. They make a pact and draw a line of pillows between them.

Im Sol asks Sun-jae not to cry when she leaves, and he promises he won’t. As she watches him sleep, she goes over the line, and Sun-jae uses this opportunity to pull her close. They confess their love for each other and have a passionate night.

The following morning, Tae-sung’s car is pulled out of the ocean, and he says goodbye to it. The four friends say their goodbyes to In-hyuk’s parents and leave. At the bus stop, Im Sol wakes up and pretends she doesn’t recognise where she is and why she is with Sun-jae. She gets off the train and starts crying as it drives away. Sun-jae is also hurt and starts crying even though he promised not to.

Through a flashback, the memory changes were an indication that her future changed. In her new memories, Sun-jae still tries to save her. Im Sol thinks this is the only way she can save Sun-jae and herself from Young-soo. The show ends with Young-soo arriving in town, ready to seek out Im Sol.

The Episode Review

Im Sol is putting Sun-jae through a painful separation again. While we understand her motives, how many times will she traumatise our sweet lover boy? Let us hope she has a plan because facing a serial killer on her own is a terrible idea. 

It was nice to see Tae-sung get closure on his feelings for Im Sol. He also deserves to find his happiness, and we volunteer as tributes since Im Sol has Sun-jae! On the other hand, Im Geum and Hyun-joo will kill us with laughter. They are so adorable, and Hyun-joo is effortlessly funny and cute at the same time. Did you see how she defended her man against Im Sol? 

We have four episodes left and we can only hope this Young-soo matter will be handled quickly. We need to get back to the rom-com and heart-fluttering moments. All this anxiety is too much!