“Lovely Runner” Ep 9: Kim Hye-yoon Viral with Outstanding Acting + Heartbreaking Scene

In “Lovely Runner” Ep 9, the story unfolds with Seon-jae (Byeon Woo-seok) being plotted against and hospitalized for urgent treatment by the hand of Kim Yeong-su. 

It’s at this moment that Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) realizes that Kim Yeong-su is the same one that once tried to kill her. She recalls details about the past case and learns that 15 years ago, Seon-jae fought Kim to protect her when she was severely injured. As a result, the murderer was arrested and harbored resentment against Seon-jae up to the present. These revelations deeply distress Sol, leading her to desperately search for a watch that can reverse time.

Eventually, Sol discovers the watch still in her house, kept by her grandmother. She immediately turns back time and is shocked to wake up on a large statue step in the middle of the university campus. She nearly falls to the ground in front of many people, but luckily Seon-jae appears and saves her. Sol is shocked to realize she has time-traveled to her college years and even more shocked to find herself attending the same university as Seon-jae.

Without wasting any more time, Sol immediately informs the police about the person who tried to kill her and provides crucial evidence. She also prepares some self-defense items to protect herself from the potential return of the murderer. Meanwhile, Seon-jae starts composing music, with his first song dedicated to Sol. He doesn’t understand Sol’s attitude and misses her, while Sol tries to avoid him.

Despite her efforts to avoid him, Sol ends up sharing a train car with Seon-jae on a university freshmen outing. Upon arrival, they even have to stay at the same hotel. While attempting to escape, Sol is forced to stay for the freshmen party and even coerced into participating in a game. During the game, she notices Seon-jae present and immediately runs away but is stopped by senior students. Out of anger, she drinks all the alcohol and lashes out at the seniors. As for Seon-jae, seeing Sol continuously avoiding him, he feels both irritated and heartbroken.

To escape Seon-jae, Sol ventures into the forest, only to get lost. She doesn’t expect Seon-jae to follow her, and he confronts her, asking if she hates him. This question leads Sol to drink excessively that night. As a result, she gets drunk and wanders alone. Seon-jae accidentally sees her and follows her. Upon seeing Seon-jae, Sol bursts into tears, begging him to leave her alone, believing it’s the only way for him to find peace. They accidentally share a kiss as Seon-jae tries to carry Sol back.

Meanwhile, the scene where Sol reported the incident has been burned down. This is entirely different from what happened before, making Sol extremely worried that Kim Yeong-su will reappear to harm her and Seon-jae.

In the end of “Lovely Runner” Ep 9, Seon-jae finds Sol and questions why she knows about the song he composed that hasn’t been released anywhere yet. It turns out that while drunk, Sol sang the song and said she would soon return to her own timeline. Seon-jae becomes suspicious and asks Sol who she really is.

After episode 9 aired, the hottest topic remains Kim Hye-yoon’s acting. Her scene of crying uncontrollably when she can’t find the watch and discovering that Seon-jae almost died because of her deeply moved the audience. Compared to her bright portrayal in previous episodes, this time Kim Hye-yoon excellently delivers her inner emotional performance.

Below are some comments from netizens:

• Today’s episode truly showcases Kim Hye-yoon’s explosive acting talent. Watching it made me cry and then laugh like crazy.
• The scene where Sol discovers Seon-jae was injured because of her is simply outstanding. Kim Hye-yoon’s performance is truly remarkable.
• Kim Hye-yoon’s acting is amazing, this episode is so good.
• The moment Sol realizes she was the reason Seon-jae died is incredible. Her shocked, bewildered, pained, and fearful expressions choked me up. I’ve said it many times, but I have to say it again, Hye-yoon’s acting is truly impressive.

Source: K14, tvN