The tvN and Netflix K-drama Crash Course in Romance aired its final episode on March 6. But fans cannot help but still ridicule and be annoyed at how the K-drama writers concluded Ji Dong-hui’s (Shin Jae-ha) storyline in Episode 15. The story built up a murder mystery targeting people closest to Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyoung-ho), and the killer was proven to be Dong-hui. But Crash Course in Romance Episode 15 rushed Dong-hui’s final moments.
[WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Crash Course in Romance.]
Chi-yeol discovers Dong-hui was the killer all along in ‘Crash Course in Romance’ Episode 15
While watching the K-drama, fans already began Dong-hui as the killer. It was proven true when Hae-yi (Roh Yoon-seo) returns from buying garbage bags late at night. She finds him ready to strike her mother with a metal ball. But seeing his face, Dong-hui runs after her and kidnaps her, but she escapes. Hae-yi gets struck by a car and in a coma.
The drama also had Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon) suspect Dong-hui is not who he appears after seeing his true malicious persona. But after she shows Chi-yeol the ink stain on Hae-yi’s hand, he also began to suspect the horrible truth. It is confirmed when he felt the callous the police described about the killer on Dong-hui’s hand. In Crash Course in Romance Episode 15, Chi-yeol sees the whole truth when Dong-hui’s apartment code is his birthday, the photos of him, and the unique pen. He also finds the diary of Dong-hui’s sister.
At the same time, Chi-yeol realizes Hae-yi was still in grave danger when Dong-hui does not pick something up for him. Back at the hospital, a male wearing all black is ready to strangle a comatose Hae-yi. But Haeng-seon tricks him from behind, revealing his identity to her. Dong-hui tries to escape, but Chi-yeol chases after him to the roof.
Chi-yeol tries to reason with Dong-hui that his supposed actions to keep him safe were a crime. Dong-hui answers that they could have stayed as they were if Haeng-seon had not arrived. Chi-yeol tries to have him realize that his sister, Su-hyeon, would not want this. Dong-hui is angered that Chi-yeol has forgotten her. Before he drops to his death from the ledge, Dong-hui says, “I have nothing more to protect.”
Dong-hui’s story only traumatized Chi-yeol and felt rushed
After the tragic events, fans were less than enthused. The romantic comedy K-dama built up the murder mystery well, only to end abruptly and with no real enlightened conclusion. After Dong-hui’s death, fans see a flashback of him and his sister in the park. She explains that she hopes to grow up, be Chi-yeol’s assistant, and protect him. Dong-hui ultimately fulfilled his sister’s last wish, but as Chi-yeol no longer needed him, he felt betrayed.
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But some fans on Reddit felt it was “anticlimactic.” A fan on Reddit commented, “Yeah it definitely did the second I saw they were running up the stairs, I knew that was how this arc was getting wrapped up. It does feel a little cheap but I guess there was no way to redeem him. Mostly I hate that Chi Yeol has a new wound that will probably never fully heal.”
After Dong-hui’s death, Chi-yeol reverts to staying in his apartment and feeling pain. In the end, both siblings had a deep connection to him and died, and one of them committed murder. Shortly after, Crash Course in Romance Episode 15 pushed away Dong-hui and focused on the arrival of Hae-yi’s birth mother.
“I think they crammed 2 or 3 eps in 1 ep. All the above things should have been shelled out and given proper closure but they just don’t have time. This happened because there’s 2 completely different genres and plots in one drama,” said one fan. In hindsight, was there any other way for Dong-hui’s storyline to end?
Dong-hui’s death in ‘Crash Course in Romance’ Episode 15 parallels his story
While his death felt anticlimactic, some fans dug deeper and realized there might have been no other way to end his story. Dong-hui lost his only support system when he was younger and left him in the care of his overbearing mother, who mistreated him to get good grades. Based on his sister’s wishes and diary, the only person he could rely on was Chi-yeol.
He made it his mission to stay by his side and protect him, but Haeng-seon took his place. “Yep, very much agree. It’s like Mr Ji did all those things because it is what he thinks he should do and now that things are changing, he finds no reason to live so there he goes. His ending, for me, aligns to what his character was depicting,” said one fan.
Another fan expressed the same sentiment, “The Mr. Ji arc was meant to be illustrative of how pressure from parents and the toxic high-pressure school system can twist someone. It was always meant to end tragically. That was the purpose of that arc.”
According to Koreaboo, Crash Course in Romance writer Yang Hee-seun admitted, “I’m so grateful for the unexpected love and support. Now that I’m done and looking back on what an adventure it has been, I do realize that I might have gotten too greedy at times. I do reflect on that.” But it is unclear whether it is in response to Dong-hui’s death.
