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The ENDING Explained

Suliabryon Author VIP

After the confusion once episode 10 aired, the original author of the web novel posted to Twitter/X and explained the intent.

Author Iiromill (이로밀) clarified that the series' events are a true reality rather than a dream or illusion. The final classroom sequence represents Eun-ho's internal reverie and subconscious processing of his past regrets, letting him envision a scenario where he confessed to Do-hyeon much sooner. This imaginative transition highlights Eun-ho's emotional growth and breakthrough, preparing him to face Do-hyeon's real feelings openly without erasing their prior relationship.

Essentially, Eunho falls asleep and dreams of those early years when he was hesitant and insecure in his feelings for Do-hyeon, and this dream allows him to take a different path and choose what he wishes he had done now that he's embraced his feelings and is secure in their relationship

This was made a little confusing because of how the dream was presented and lines like "So it was a dream", but ultimately the sequence was merely meant to highlight his internal growth and emotional arc as a character.

The ending with them on the picnic blanket is where we leave them in real life, happy and together and fully embracing their new relationship without insecurities.

edited

RogueArchive

21 hours ago

Well bloody hell! Thank you so much for this—I was going in circles trying to make sense of where the dream sequence actually began. They really dropped the ball on the direction here. Throwing in lines like "So it was a dream" when it was meant to be an internal reverie just misled everyone for no reason. Great concept, but such a silly way to present it on screen!

Suliabryon Author VIP

21 hours ago

Yeah, I feel like that was a real miss in the presentation. If they wanted to do that, I get it, and I could be for it....but make it less ambiguous. OTOH, I also wonder if there might be a translation issue with "So it was a dream". Maybe the original Korean could have been interpreted differently? Hopefully someone who speaks Korean will chime in at some point.

Eliot_Rulez

21 hours ago

It's nice to have intend, but the execution is soooooooooooooooooooo lacking, that it's obvious that we understand the whole story as a dream.... If they can't pull it off in a way that everyone is able to understand it, they should have scraped it... It was not even necessary. He already left his insecurity when they got back together. No need to emphase it again, it's redundant.

Besides he woke up at school and in the story they graduated already, so that makes not much sense. That was the wrong setting for the dream.

ColourMePurple

16 hours ago

Suliabryon:
Yeah, I feel like that was a real miss in the presentation. If they wanted to do that, I get it, and I could be for it....but make it less ambiguous. OTOH, I also wonder if there might be a translation issue with "So it was a dream". Maybe the original Korean could have been interpreted differently? Hopefully someone who speaks Korean will chime in at some point.

It wasn't a mistranslation. He was surprised it was a dream.

If they were trying to represent inner resolution, they failed.

wwx

1 hour ago

Yes, it's not a mistranslation, but I think it was also more like... poorly translated.

Eunho said that remark after asking Dohyun what was going on, why was the latter wearing school uniform, and then checking the surroundings. His realization was more of "oh, so this is a dream" or "i guess i'm inside a dream, then" situation more than it was a "so it was a dream" situation.

Even after the author officially clarified that scene (https://x.com/iiromill/status/2103157785047556135) and even after a lot have already pointed out various details (e.g. "i'm going back to where i belong" line; the couple bracelet that eunho was already wearing), many are still confused and it's mainly because most of the viewer's perception was restricted by the "so it was a dream" translation. So that line really did play a huge role in everyone's confusion (aside from the poor execution in general).