The ending is "open" only because nothing is spelled out, but "happy" because what *is* spelled…
Interesting take!
I think for them to be together at all would require (a) Giwoo no longer an authority figure for Hyeonjae, (b) Giwoo no longer married, and (c) Giwoo feeling more centered as a person, e.g. finally handling his mother's constant interference and choosing a new career path (counseling).
These conditions are all met at the end of the series.
I think the conversation with his wife about getting a divorce -- and the fact that his wife is surprised that Giwoo is the one who brought it up -- signals a big change in him, too.
On Hyeonjae's side, if he was no longer interested then why keep chatting with Giwoo at all? The opposite of love is indifference. Hyeonjae should have just moved on.
And finally there's the question of what other reason would there be for Giwoo to make his way to that specific bus stop? To do it simply to reminisce or wallow in his regret doesn't seem plausible. In all ways he's become stronger as a person and finally can believe he has something to offer in a relationship.
The ending is "open" only because nothing is spelled out, but "happy" because what *is* spelled out is talk of a meet-up in the near future between Giwoo and Hyeonjae.
Supporting evidence:
Giwoo rejoins the chat app and based on the voiceover from Hyeonjae they are still in communication.
Post-credits we see Giwoo once more going to "their" bus stop while in voiceover Hyeonjae asks if they might be able to meet up again.
Finally we see Giwoo seated on the bench at the bus stop and getting up as he seems to spot someone approaching from down the way.
When he keeps looking in that direction in the final shot I would have liked to see him smile but I'll take what I can get.
There's just a few hours until the finale so here's some speculation on how Ep 7 might go based on the preview we saw at the end of Ep 6. This is almost certain to be 100% incorrect but thinking about it helped me through today.
Btw, it occurred to me that none of the pain for Giwoo and Hyeonjae would have happened if not for Jeongha LYING to Jitae and saying that Hyeonjae was a drug dealer at school. So fuck that guy. He chose to jump Hyeonjae and lost the fight. Poor little baby got his feelings hurt and decided to get revenge. In doing so he might have ruined two people's lives.
Anyway, here's my theory about Ep 7:
- As to what happens after Giwoo pulls Hyeonjae into his apartment, the preview shows an unhappy Hyeonjae leaving so it's probably unpleasant. Giwoo's been drinking, so who knows.
- Later at school the rumor about Giwoo and the student from a few years back starts to get around.
- The school decides to replace Giwoo with a different contract teacher, the woman we see teaching. (I don't think it's the "official" teacher because she'd already know that Hyeonjae is the Chairman's son.)
- The kid who was buying drugs all the time passes out in class from an overdose. Youngmin's probably responsible, but he or Jeongha tell the new teacher that Hyeonjae is the drug dealer. (Another backstab from Jeongha.)
- The teacher questions Hyeonjae and ends up slapping him when he denies being responsible for the kid's OD. She thinks he's lying.
- Without Giwoo at the school anymore Hyeonjae has nobody to defend him.
- The teacher is later shocked to learn that Hyeonjae is the Chairman's son.
- The Chairman hears about the drug accusation and beats the living crap out of Hyeonjae. (Maybe we finally learn what happens when the Secretary drives off with Hyeonjae in the car trunk.)
- Afterward, Hyeonjae retreats to the equipment storage room and calls Giwoo.
- Giwoo shows up at the storage room to find a weeping Hyeonjae. End of episode.
From there I think the finale will find a newly confident Giwoo rescuing Hyeonjae in some way. One thing for sure, any ending that puts Giwoo out of Hyeonjae's life would be CATASTROPHIC. Hyeonjae has experienced affection (well, more accurately it is love) for the first time. To be abandoned again after that would devastate him. I don't think a series with as much humanity as this one would leave us with that.
I'm hoping at the end of the series there's a possibility of Hyeonjae being able to contact Giwoo, even if that won't happen until some future time. I didn't watch Gray Shelter but there's mention of a time jump at the end of that series, so maybe the writer/director will use the same thing here in order to give us a happy ending.
I'd like it if Hyeonjae's mother somehow gets involved in fixing things. Whatever the case, they need to tell us what the story is with her.
My favorite ending: Giwoo gets his teaching certification and starts teaching at a school that Hyeonjae transfers to for his last semester as a senior. (And during the lunch hour each day they hump like rabbits in a secret room somewhere haha.)
A series that sets a standard! The finale felt like a bonus episode but including it in the regular run was a smart move. It leaves everyone basking in the glow.
The dessert Ruth brought to school they were made by Ji's mom I think, when Ji went home with Ty and Kong he was…
So the matching kerchiefs are meant to show that Ruth always liked the desserts that Ji's mom makes, starting very early. Not sure why he'd become "stern" over the tussle with Tawan over sharing them but I think that's a better explanation.
Why is Ruth always being called away during PE? >>> Tawan mentioned right there's always science and…
I need to join Overthinkers Anonymous ... my first thought was "every single day???" like there was something sinister happening. But yeah now I think it was just another example of how overworked Ruth was at that time.
I wonder if the reason both boys went back to the past is so that Ji can help to fix something that got broken in Ruth when they were both kids, that turned Ruth from kindhearted to grim and serious.
There are a lot of details/clues slipping by that I've tried to catch in this episode.
- Why is Ruth always being called away during PE? ("We never have a chance to enjoy PE with him, he's always called away.") Later when Ji saw Ruth return, Ruth was walking fast and had a stony look on his face.
- What is the significance that the kerchief wrapped around Ruth's lunchbox in the flashback has the same floral pattern as the kerchief that Ji gives to Ruth toward the end of the episode, that Ruth is so happy with?
- After the fuss with Tawan in the flashback over Ruth not sharing his dessert, why did Ruth stop bringing his lunchbox to school and go from being "Ruth the Kindhearted" to "Ruth the Stern"?
(I'm guessing that the floral kerchief will have significance later on, maybe to serve in the future as proof that both guys really did go back into the past at the same time.)
- The moustached guy who gives Ji the stinkeye after they bumped into each other is almost certainly Ruth's dad, since in a separate scene Ruth got into the same car to leave after school. Is there something about Ji that Ruth's dad doesn't like? Is it something as simply as blaming Ji for Ruth suddenly rebelling and reporting Ms. Suda? Could the reason the two boys never became friends be that Ruth's dad forbade it due to an entirely different issue?
- The spark between Tawan and Tyler makes me wonder if they're going to be the second couple and not Kongpop and Tyler. I prefer Kongpop because he's always cranky, making his sparring with Tyler so much fun. (Maybe Kongpop and Tawan will fight over Tyler haha.)
If Anda can say "Help me" from the grave then why can't he also give a couple of names for the culprits?
Anybody who bought Anda's laptop and phone would have wiped both of them as the first step, but I bet by some miracle they'll still be intact when they're found.
That convo between Anda's dad and the boyfriend felt like it would go on forever. They could've covered all that in like two minutes.
Much better kiss this time, and it went on for a while which is realistic for two people falling in love. My pet peeve, though, is when two actors stand close to kiss but go out of their way to keep their lower bodies from touching. Like here.
The sight of the whole Scooby gang going to the thrift shop to ask about the jacket just amused me to no end. And the production spared no expense in creating that storefront, didn't they lol.
The scene with the kid selling cookies .... Just why? Seems like another waste of screen time when all you want is a reason for Pod to reward Jin with a kiss. If it was just more virtue signaling on behalf of Jin, we don't need it. By now we all know he's the greenest of flags.
And in that spirit we need to learn exactly why Pod hated Jin for such a long time. That dislike for him is starting to look like a character flaw for Pod.
To me it feels like the murderer isn't anybody we've seen on screen yet, like somebody in organized crime or some other shady enterprise. A cool outcome would be if Anda's dad is ultimately responsible because somebody wanted to get back at *him* over something.
Risa is a totally unnecessary character and annoying to boot. I loved it when Pod just said "Suit yourself" when she told him she was going to pursue Jin.
K-Drama 
5 
7 
2 
1 
I think for them to be together at all would require (a) Giwoo no longer an authority figure for Hyeonjae, (b) Giwoo no longer married, and (c) Giwoo feeling more centered as a person, e.g. finally handling his mother's constant interference and choosing a new career path (counseling).
These conditions are all met at the end of the series.
I think the conversation with his wife about getting a divorce -- and the fact that his wife is surprised that Giwoo is the one who brought it up -- signals a big change in him, too.
On Hyeonjae's side, if he was no longer interested then why keep chatting with Giwoo at all? The opposite of love is indifference. Hyeonjae should have just moved on.
And finally there's the question of what other reason would there be for Giwoo to make his way to that specific bus stop? To do it simply to reminisce or wallow in his regret doesn't seem plausible. In all ways he's become stronger as a person and finally can believe he has something to offer in a relationship.
The bigger question for me was whether the director filmed and added that scene more recently, after she saw how popular the series had become.
Like: did Giwoo and Hyeonjae actually have sex.
Supporting evidence:
Giwoo rejoins the chat app and based on the voiceover from Hyeonjae they are still in communication.
Post-credits we see Giwoo once more going to "their" bus stop while in voiceover Hyeonjae asks if they might be able to meet up again.
Finally we see Giwoo seated on the bench at the bus stop and getting up as he seems to spot someone approaching from down the way.
When he keeps looking in that direction in the final shot I would have liked to see him smile but I'll take what I can get.
Thank you for directing me to the post-credits!
They were meeting up again at the infamous bus stop ... I'm breathless!
(Twisted Tie: the BL series that will have the world record for number of rewatches...) 😁
Btw, it occurred to me that none of the pain for Giwoo and Hyeonjae would have happened if not for Jeongha LYING to Jitae and saying that Hyeonjae was a drug dealer at school. So fuck that guy. He chose to jump Hyeonjae and lost the fight. Poor little baby got his feelings hurt and decided to get revenge. In doing so he might have ruined two people's lives.
Anyway, here's my theory about Ep 7:
- As to what happens after Giwoo pulls Hyeonjae into his apartment, the preview shows an unhappy Hyeonjae leaving so it's probably unpleasant. Giwoo's been drinking, so who knows.
- Later at school the rumor about Giwoo and the student from a few years back starts to get around.
- The school decides to replace Giwoo with a different contract teacher, the woman we see teaching. (I don't think it's the "official" teacher because she'd already know that Hyeonjae is the Chairman's son.)
- The kid who was buying drugs all the time passes out in class from an overdose. Youngmin's probably responsible, but he or Jeongha tell the new teacher that Hyeonjae is the drug dealer. (Another backstab from Jeongha.)
- The teacher questions Hyeonjae and ends up slapping him when he denies being responsible for the kid's OD. She thinks he's lying.
- Without Giwoo at the school anymore Hyeonjae has nobody to defend him.
- The teacher is later shocked to learn that Hyeonjae is the Chairman's son.
- The Chairman hears about the drug accusation and beats the living crap out of Hyeonjae. (Maybe we finally learn what happens when the Secretary drives off with Hyeonjae in the car trunk.)
- Afterward, Hyeonjae retreats to the equipment storage room and calls Giwoo.
- Giwoo shows up at the storage room to find a weeping Hyeonjae. End of episode.
From there I think the finale will find a newly confident Giwoo rescuing Hyeonjae in some way. One thing for sure, any ending that puts Giwoo out of Hyeonjae's life would be CATASTROPHIC. Hyeonjae has experienced affection (well, more accurately it is love) for the first time. To be abandoned again after that would devastate him. I don't think a series with as much humanity as this one would leave us with that.
I'm hoping at the end of the series there's a possibility of Hyeonjae being able to contact Giwoo, even if that won't happen until some future time. I didn't watch Gray Shelter but there's mention of a time jump at the end of that series, so maybe the writer/director will use the same thing here in order to give us a happy ending.
I'd like it if Hyeonjae's mother somehow gets involved in fixing things. Whatever the case, they need to tell us what the story is with her.
My favorite ending: Giwoo gets his teaching certification and starts teaching at a school that Hyeonjae transfers to for his last semester as a senior. (And during the lunch hour each day they hump like rabbits in a secret room somewhere haha.)
There are a lot of details/clues slipping by that I've tried to catch in this episode.
- Why is Ruth always being called away during PE? ("We never have a chance to enjoy PE with him, he's always called away.") Later when Ji saw Ruth return, Ruth was walking fast and had a stony look on his face.
- What is the significance that the kerchief wrapped around Ruth's lunchbox in the flashback has the same floral pattern as the kerchief that Ji gives to Ruth toward the end of the episode, that Ruth is so happy with?
- After the fuss with Tawan in the flashback over Ruth not sharing his dessert, why did Ruth stop bringing his lunchbox to school and go from being "Ruth the Kindhearted" to "Ruth the Stern"?
(I'm guessing that the floral kerchief will have significance later on, maybe to serve in the future as proof that both guys really did go back into the past at the same time.)
- The moustached guy who gives Ji the stinkeye after they bumped into each other is almost certainly Ruth's dad, since in a separate scene Ruth got into the same car to leave after school. Is there something about Ji that Ruth's dad doesn't like? Is it something as simply as blaming Ji for Ruth suddenly rebelling and reporting Ms. Suda? Could the reason the two boys never became friends be that Ruth's dad forbade it due to an entirely different issue?
- The spark between Tawan and Tyler makes me wonder if they're going to be the second couple and not Kongpop and Tyler. I prefer Kongpop because he's always cranky, making his sparring with Tyler so much fun. (Maybe Kongpop and Tawan will fight over Tyler haha.)
Like, she saw Anda as a rival in her obsession over Jin, and the next one she'll want gone is Pod.
It would be pretty dumb but I thought it was funny to consider it.
Anybody who bought Anda's laptop and phone would have wiped both of them as the first step, but I bet by some miracle they'll still be intact when they're found.
That convo between Anda's dad and the boyfriend felt like it would go on forever. They could've covered all that in like two minutes.
Much better kiss this time, and it went on for a while which is realistic for two people falling in love. My pet peeve, though, is when two actors stand close to kiss but go out of their way to keep their lower bodies from touching. Like here.
The sight of the whole Scooby gang going to the thrift shop to ask about the jacket just amused me to no end. And the production spared no expense in creating that storefront, didn't they lol.
The scene with the kid selling cookies .... Just why? Seems like another waste of screen time when all you want is a reason for Pod to reward Jin with a kiss. If it was just more virtue signaling on behalf of Jin, we don't need it. By now we all know he's the greenest of flags.
And in that spirit we need to learn exactly why Pod hated Jin for such a long time. That dislike for him is starting to look like a character flaw for Pod.
To me it feels like the murderer isn't anybody we've seen on screen yet, like somebody in organized crime or some other shady enterprise. A cool outcome would be if Anda's dad is ultimately responsible because somebody wanted to get back at *him* over something.
Risa is a totally unnecessary character and annoying to boot. I loved it when Pod just said "Suit yourself" when she told him she was going to pursue Jin.
It will be interesting to see why she slaps Hyeonjae so hard.