Lovely Runner fans have wild “three dots” theory about Im Sol’s grandmother

With Lovely Runner officially over, it’s time to discuss the biggest three dots and time travel theory involving Im Sol’s grandmother fans can’t ignore.

While the K-drama has a romance story fans have fallen in love with, it’s all about the time travel that thrusts Im Sol and Sun-jae into a whirlwind journey to change fate. But throughout Lovely Runner, Im Sol’s grandmother is a consistent character who appears to know more than she lets on.

As Im Sol goes through her three chances at changing Sun-jae’s future, her grandmother always remembers everything from each timeline. Despite having dementia, she remembers how Im Sol was once in a wheelchair and her love for Sun-jae.

There’s a popular theory that Im Sol’s grandmother was the key to time travel or was the one to have started the chain of events. The “three dots” theory is a main indicator.

On multiple occasions, when Im Sol woke up in a new timeline, her grandmother painted red circles on her face. In an X/Twitter thread breaks down the theory and its connection to Im Sol’s grandmother.

In Korean culture, red circles known as yeonji or gonji are drawn on a bride’s face. On some occasions, red paper dots are used. The red dots are meant to symbolize warding off evil spirits.

When Im Sol wakes up in two separate timelines, she has three dots. One on her forehead and cheeks, while her grandmother only has two on her cheeks. The theory is that she gave Im Sol her wisdom eye to protect her and her destiny.

The loss of her wisdom eye is also an indicator of her dementia being present in that timeline. It’s the one constant in Im Sol’s time travel. There’s another interesting connection between Im Sol’s grandmother and her hand in time travel.

Sun-jae’s watch becomes crucial in allowing Im Sol to go back in time. In two of her time travel trips, Im Sol’s grandmother is the one to have held onto the watch for her.

The finale might have proved the theory right. There’s a scene in the finale where Im Sol’s grandmother is at the same river where Im Sol first tried to change Sun-jae’s fate and used the watch to time travel.

Im Sol’s grandmother has the watch in her possession, and it’s at zero. Looking happy, she flings the watch into the water as if saying goodbye to the past forever now that everything worked out the way it should have.

It may very well be that Im Sol’s journey to change Sun-jae’s fate and live a happy life is all due to her grandmother having jump-started the time travel.

Lovely Runner is available to stream on Viki, and you can check out the most anticipated K-dramas, and new Netflix K-drama to watch this year.