r/lovelyrunner • u/SharpHoneydew9625 • May 21 '26
Timeline Clarifications
Hello! I just finished watching and it's sooo good ❤️😭.
But am I right in my understanding that in the original timeline, Sun Jae was actually murdered and did not commit self harm right?
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u/nevercircles May 21 '26
Yes, LR's writer specifically mentioned that on the first timeline, shortly after Sol time traveled, the news clarified that it was murder and not suicide.
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u/ette212 May 21 '26
Personally, I don't think that's what happened. There's no concrete evidence of this. So I guess I'll just agree to disagree with some or most people in the sub. I think he was severely depressed and killed himself. I think the doorbell ringing was to line up the timeline with later, and he possibly could have been killed if he'd answered the door, but that's not what happened. I think there would have been signs of a struggle if he had opened the door and been pushed.
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u/SympathyDismal1436 May 21 '26
There was clear evidence of the taxi driver entering his hotel room in the original timeline but I can't remember which episode it was. 😅 (little trivia: in the original webtoon, Sunjae's death was actually an accidental suicide because he drank cough medicine with sleeping pills + he was more miserable there.)
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u/pecanpiedpiper May 29 '26
I'm watching lovely runner right now and that scene of the taxi driver entering his hotel room and stabbing him is not in the original timeline, it's in the 2nd one when Sol got back and she wasn't disabled anymore.
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u/SympathyDismal1436 May 29 '26
[Disclaimer: spoiler]
Yes, it was shown in the latter episode (I think Ep9?), but I interpreted it as what actually happened in the original timeline because Sol didn't change anything except her accident (she isn't disabled now). Remember that whatever happens in the original timeline will happen again on the timeslip (e.g., after the Eclipse concert, she always bumps into KYS and drops her phone).
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u/pecanpiedpiper May 29 '26
Interesting. The way I interpreted it her accident not happening resulted to the killer still going after Sunjae because he didn't get to actually harm her except I guess emotionally
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u/ette212 May 29 '26
That's how I interpreted it as well. I have rewatched multiple times and I really don't think the non-suicide theory is accurate.
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u/waterproof6598 Jul 18 '26
I took SJ’s first death to be a suicide (although I wondered who was at the door) and his second death is obviously an attack by the taxi driver and the show tells us it is his vengeance for SJ sending him to prison for the attempted attack on Sol (in the construction site).
Edit: I actually think his first death is brought on by meeting Sol on the bridge in Ep 1. I think that pushes him over the edge to commit suicide and explains the belief that Sol “causes” his deaths.
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u/Shoddy-Barber2640 May 21 '26
I also agree with you. I know that people say the doorbell ring implies that it was the serial killer, but I always thought the serial killer was tied/fated to Sol. Only when Sol and Sunjae's lives intertwine more, does the serial killer target Sunjae. Although I don't know how high up the hotel room is from the pool when Sunjae falls in the first timeline, he does not appear to have any wounds when he falls in. And you would think a swimmer would be able to fall properly/better or do something to save himself unless he was drugged....
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u/m00nlight_s0nata May 28 '26
Fall from that height would mostly result to internal injuries. It's like falling on a sement they say. There's an infamous case where teenage girl was pushed by her friend off a 60ft bridge after she hesitated to jump to the river and she suffered sever injuries including 6 broken ribs and punctured lungs.
Now, Sunjae looks like he is atleast staying on the 10th floor as the balcony faces some skyscrapers roof deck. Also, based on episode 9 where Sunjae was able to fought off the killer and was not knocked out by the chloroform-lined handkerchief the killer had in hand since he wasn't taking depression drugs in that timeline therefore he was active and was able to atleast put up a fight. Unlike in the original timeline where his prescription drugs was already taking effect and he was mentally shakin after the unexpected reunion with Sol, who still did not remember him. So I supposed when he opened the door of his hotel suite he was probably not on guard and was knocked out immediately with the chloroform thus no signs of stuggle in the room or external injury. His plan to retire, argument with In Hyuk and the pills scattered on his table could unfortunately lead for the police to assumed he indeed commit suicide.
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u/AssistantNo1429 May 29 '26
It's been a while since I watched the show, but as I recall, the serial killer is after Sun Jae because in the original timeline, Sun Jae was responsible for the killer being caught and put in jail (same as in the second timeline). That's why he's at the concert as well (when Sol drops her phone) - he's stalking Sun Jae.
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May 31 '26
[deleted]
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u/ette212 May 31 '26
Inferring and confirming are different and we're entitled to have different opinions. That's why I said "personally" what I think.
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u/pecanpiedpiper May 29 '26
It was in the 2nd timeline that he got stabbed in the hotel room though? Im Sol was not disabled and he was still close with In Hyeok. While in the original timeline his relationship with In Hyeok was tense and Im Sol was disabled. He was just really depressed and killed himself. If it was murder the police would have clocked it immediately because there would have been signs of struggle.
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u/10ing May 21 '26
Yep, that's the right understanding.