Lovely Runner (2024) Timeline Explanation

AMAZING CHEMISTRY!!!

Sweet, Touching & Sexy love story!!!

I absolutely adore this couple and can’t stop thinking about this show.  One productive thing from my obsessiveness is the below timeline explanation for fellow fans. But be warned, they are FULL of Spoilers!

1. The watch as a time machine gives 3 chances for Sol to travel back to the past.  The watch can be activated only at the time Sun Jae’s death was confirmed for Sol. The exact time of arrival in the past depends on what Sol wants to change. 
2. Whenever Sol traveled back in time, there were 2 watches: Sun Jae has one (original) and Sol has one (brought from future / 2023). Sol used the 2023 watch for the first, second and third time travels. For the fourth time travel, Sol had to use the watch Sun Jae was wearing in 2009.
3. Each watch is meant for one timeline. Thus, the first, second and third time travels were all in the same timeline. A different watch was used for the fourth time travel and therefore, it resulted in a different timeline. 
4. In Harry Potter Universe and Avengers Universe, the characters' entire physical bodies were transported back in time. There were two Hermione Grangers for example. In Lovely Runner, however, only Sol's mind was transported back in time, not her physical body. The 2023 Sol's mind was residing in the body of 2008 Sol.

TIMELINE EXPLANATION

	2008	2009	2023	What was changed compared to the original timeline	The Watch
Original	Sun Jae had a one-sided crush on Sol but Sol had no idea who Sun Jae was. There was an attack on Sol which caused her to be paralysed.  Sun Jae saved her life and helped with arrest of the murderer.		Sun Jae was found dead. The cause was assumed to be suicide due to depression. BUT rewatch the 2023 scenes after the second time travel. Compare the door bell. It could be the murderer (who was released from jail) at the door. He could have pushed Sun Jae and killed him for revenge.		As an Eclipse fan, Sol bought the watch from auction for 3 million won. She was holding it in the stream when she found out about Sun Jae’s confirmed death.  It was activated for the first time travel.
Mission	Sol thought Sun Jae died by suicide due to depression as a result of the celebrity life.  Therefore Sol wanted to stop Sun Jae from becoming a celebrity.

	2008	2009	2023	What was changed compared to the original timeline	The Watch
Time Travel 1	Sol went back to the time when Sun Jae was still a competitive swimmer. Sol & Sun Jae became friends. Sun Jae confessed to Sol at the pool.		Sun Jae was still dead because everything else still happened the same way.	Highschool Friendship	Sol still had the watch, as the circumstances were mostly the same as the original timeline.
Mission	It remained the same as before.

	2008	2009	2023	What was changed compared to the original timeline	The Watch
Time Travel 2	Sol went back to the time 10 days after the pool confession. Sol and Sun Jae got closer and Sun Jae confessed again 2 more times (at the pedestrian crossing and after the baseball match). Sol rejected Sun Jae as she felt her time travel had influenced his feelings. Another reason was her consideration for the young Sol (Not the time traveller Sol) who was not even aware of Sun Jae's existence. Attack #1: After Sol was saved by Sun Jae, she regained her memory (from the original timeline) of how she became paralysed and how Sun Jae saved her. Just before the Attack #2, Sol also realised she was Sun Jae’s first love and that he had noticed her even before all her time travels. Attack #2: Sol was again saved by her own actions and Sun Jae’s efforts. But Sol was sent back to 2023 right after the Attack #2.	Attack #3: The young Sol (Not the time traveller Sol)  was saved by Sun Jae. He also helped with arrest of the murderer.	Although the number of attacks changed from 1 to 3, the severity was greatly reduced. Sol escaped being hit by a car and thus, she could walk. Sun Jae was alive when they met again.  Sol was relieved to hear Sun Jae didn’t have depression. After clearing their misunderstandings, they reconnected and got together. Upon his release from prison, the murderer attempted to kill Sun Jae for revenge.	Stronger Feelings on both sides The number of attacks changed from 1 to 3. The severity was greatly reduced.  Walking Sol	Sol was not hit by a car and hence, not paralysed => No phone call from Eclipse => No words which had profound impact on Sol’s will to live => Not a fervent fan => Sol didn’t buy a watch from auction. Sun Jae lost the watch during the Attack #3. All the items were returned to the victim (Sol) after the investigation was concluded. Therefore, Sol had the watch somewhere in her house.
Mission	Arrest the murderer before the Attack #3 (before Sun Jae helped with the arrest)  then, the murderer would not have a reason to seek revenge on Sun Jae.

	2008	2009	2023	What was changed compared to the original timeline	The Watch
Time Travel 3		Sol went back to the college time before the Attack #3 happened.  Sun Jae thought Sol was avoiding him because she didn’t feel the same way. However, Sol was avoiding him to ensure he wouldn’t get involved with her Attack #3. Nonetheless, Sun Jae had figured out about her time travels and convinced her to be together.  Sol shared all her knowledge about the murderer with police, hoping that the murderer would be caught before the Attack #3 happened. A failed arrest led to changes in the Attack #3’s time and location. Despite Sol’s efforts to send Sun Jae away, he still fought with the murderer and was stabbed.		Sun Jae was killed in 2009, instead of in 2023.	Sol had used all 3 chances with the 2023 watch. She had to use the watch Sun Jae was wearing in 2009 for the fourth time travel.
Mission	Sol decided that they should not have met because Sun Jae was killed by the murderer who was after her initially. If they didn’t meet, Sun Jae would not have had a crush on her and did not need to get involved with the murderer.

	2008	2009	2023	What was changed compared to the original timeline	The Watch
Time Travel 4	Sol went back to the time before Sun Jae met her for the first time. She avoided bumping into him. She also moved house so she wouldn’t have to take the bus which dropped her off in the area where the Attack #1 took place.		Without meeting the murderer, Sol evaded her fortune of being hit by a car and thus, she could walk. Sun Jae was also alive but he didn’t know who she was. Only Sol knew their connection.	Sun Jae didn’t have a crush on Sol. He didn’t have to save her and thus, the murderer didn’t have a reason to take a revenge on Sun Jae.	Both Sun Jae and Sol didn’t know where the watch was.  However, Sol’s grandma had it in 2023 and she threw it into the stream, apparently the same place as where Sol was when she did the first time travel.

I think in every timeline, Sun Jae or the murderer has to die. After the first, second and third time travels, Sun Jae died and Sol kept going back to change their fate. Only after the fourth time travel, the murderer was killed by the truck of doom and Sun Jae could live for our Happy Ending!

Let me know your thoughts and if I had missed out on anything. Or if there is an explanation on Sol's grandma role.

Now, I am off to rewatch my favourite scenes!

Adios!

xoxo

Miss N