Way Back love: Ending explained and season 2 renewal possibilities explored

The six-episode South Korean show, Way Back Love is a fantasy romance drama that premiered on TVING on April 3, 2025. The final episodes, 5 and 6, were released on April 17, 2025.

Way Back Love follows the story of Jung Hee-wan (played by Kim Min-ha), a 24-year-old woman who has shut herself off from the world after losing her will to live. However, her life changes when her childhood friend and first love, Kim Ram-woo (Gong Myung) comes back into her life— but now as a grim reaper. He reveals that Hee-wan has only one week left to live, sparking a heartfelt and transformative journey.

Way Back Love is helmed by director Choi Ha-na and is on the novel A Week Before I Die by Seo Eun-chae. The drama also features Jung Gun-joo as Lee Hong-seok and Oh Woo-ri as Yoon Tae-kyung. Ahead of its release, Way Back Love was showcased in the 'On Screen' section at the Busan International Film Festival.

In episode 5-6 of Way Back Love, Hee-wan meets Ram-woo's mother, who comforts her. Hee-wan also finds a new friend and is able to find happiness again. The ending of the final episode and the fact that there has been no official announcement regarding a season 2 of the kdrama both make it unlikely that the drama will be renewed for another season.

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Way Back Love episode 5-6 Recap: Does Ram-woo succeed in saving Hee-wan?

Episode 5 of Way Back Love opens with a flashback to Ram-woo’s death, where a Reaper offers him a chance to cross into the afterlife. However, when he learns that becoming a Reaper would allow him to return to the mortal world and see Hee-wan again, he accepts the offer.

In the present, Ram-woo questions Hee-wan about his mother, Jung-sook. As they prepare to visit her, we learn more about Jung-sook’s complicated past, especially her connection to Ryu Ho-kyung, a wealthy woman who once tried to silence Jung-sook with money. It’s revealed that Ho-kyung’s husband—Ram-woo’s father—had an affair with Jung-sook, which led to Ram-woo’s birth.

Jung-sook rejected Ho-kyung’s settlement offer and chose to raise her son quietly. Despite her initial anger, Ho-kyung later admits she never truly loved her husband and eventually divorces him, inspired by Jung-sook’s dignity.

After Ram-woo’s death, Jung-sook blamed herself and tried to reach out to Hee-wan, but Hee-wan avoided her. However, with Ram-woo’s gentle support, Hee-wan finds the strength to face Jung-sook. They reunite with tears and mutual apologies, finally releasing the guilt they’ve been carrying.

Jung-sook reveals she never stopped painting and has lived with quiet pain, while Ram-woo watches silently. As a symbolic farewell, Jung-sook puts on his coat and remarks how warm it feels, while Ram-woo hugs her.

With his final task complete, Ram-woo begins to fade. He fixes the lights outside Jung-sook’s house and vanishes when his "bucket list" is done. Hee-wan, desperate to find him, races through the forest and catches up to him. They share a bittersweet kiss, knowing their time together is almost over.

Episode 6 of Way Back Love picks up with the two watching the sunrise. Hee-wan, who is set to die the next day, has made a bucket list of her own— one filled with joy and farewells. She buys her father a suit, and he surprises her with a new laptop.

Even Hee-joo, her sister, had been listening when Hee-wan blamed the old one for losing her work. Their father is practicing the saxophone again, planning to play at their future weddings, signaling his hope for the future.

Hee-wan visits a theme park, recovers a lost passport, and begins checking off items from her list. Meanwhile, her friend Yeong-hyun is increasingly worried. Having seen Ram-woo too, she understands the depth of what Hee-wan is experiencing. She invites Hee-wan to watch fireworks— something Ram-woo had once dreamed of.

As night falls, Ram-woo tells Hee-wan the truth: she was meant to die by suicide. But her outlook has changed. She no longer wants to end her life, even though it means losing Ram-woo for good. He asks her to let him go and continue living with an open heart. After a tearful goodbye, he disappears.

Back home, Hee-wan collapses in grief. Later, she climbs to the rooftop, intent on jumping. But Yeong-hyun arrives just in time, mentioning Ram-woo and the fireworks. Ram-woo reappears to witness the fireworks with Hee-wan, helping her step back from the edge.

Ram-woo tells her that by choosing to live, she’s also saving him, as they are intrinsically connected. This moment solidifies Hee-wan’s decision to keep living, understanding now that she’s not alone in her pain. Yeong-hyun, too, reveals her own past and how she might’ve been saved by a Reaper. Her ability to see them signifies shared trauma and survival.

Embracing life, Hee-wan starts again. She reconnects with her friends, becomes more compassionate, and finds inspiration for her art. Her exhibition features pieces inspired by Ram-woo’s handwriting, with the message: “Nothing comes back and nothing is repeated. Because everything is real.”

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Will there be a Way Back Love Season 2?

The production team behind Way Back Love hasn't announced a second season and it seems unlikely. Further, most of the characters reach satisfying conclusions, each finding what they truly needed. The series wraps up with Hee-wan finding her purpose in life and learning to live again and move forward. Ram-woo, too, achieves what he came to do.

Thus, while Way Back Love was well received by the audience, a season 2 seems unlikely.