From the moment I started to keep up with this drama, I fell in love.
If something makes me feel nostalgic and fills my heart with warmth at the thought, of course I will hold onto it dearly. This drama had given me those feelings and so much more. The youthful innocence mixed with navigating independence, the struggle to provide and be present while wanting something for yourself, and the presence of love as a way of life rather than an arrangement.
Those are all things that were so beautifully addressed by our lovely cast and story.
Yet, the last episode lacked all of this. It lacked the authenticity and uniqueness this drama had. Perhaps, the goal was to show that not everything happens the way you think it will, but I firmly believe that lesson can be taught in different ways.
Why did the ending feel so unnatural? It was likely because in an effort to do something new, the story fell into a vague grey area where it lost its way.
Of course, I will never forget the way my heart fluttered when Baek Yi Jin did whatever he could to supprt Heedo. I will never forget how touched I felt when that group of friends navigated their youth together.
Is it so wrong to have wanted more for them? I don't think so.
I can't pretend that the story leading up to the finale didn't have a tight grip on my heart that loosened out of confusion upon watching the ending. But at least I can look back at those moments that fill me with joy and remember that there was a time when things were different.