My First First Love — Ending Explained

The series begins with Yoon Tae-o moving into his grandfather's house in Seoul, only for Han Song-i (displaced by loan sharks), Oh Ga-rin (escaping her chaebol family), and Choe Hun (disowned for wanting to pursue musical theater) to move in out of necessity. While Tae-o attempts to court art student Ryu Se-hyun, Seo Do-hyeon falls for Song-i and begins dating her. Season 1 culminates in Gangneung, where Tae-o uncovers Se-hyun's deceit and watches Do-hyeon and Song-i kiss, suddenly realizing his own romantic feelings for Song-i.

In Season 2, Tae-o breaks things off with Se-hyun while attempting not to interfere with Song-i. However, when Do-hyeon's father suffers bankruptcy, Do-hyeon takes on grueling shifts and withdraws emotionally due to pride and exhaustion. When Song-i discovers her runaway mother operating a distant restaurant, Tae-o is the one who drives her across the country for closure. This trip leads to a confrontation, and Do-hyeon tearfully ends his relationship with Song-i, realizing that financial strain and poor timing prevent them from functioning together.

Meanwhile, Hun and Ga-rin declare their feelings after collaborating on theater productions, building a healthy and joyous partnership. In the climax, Tae-o tracks down his estranged biological mother, finding closure regarding his childhood abandonment. Acknowledging that Tae-o has always been her constant emotional shelter, Song-i reunites with him on the illuminated rooftop terrace, where the two share a kiss and transition from lifelong friends to romantic partners.

The series invites multiple readings depending on audience perspective:

• The 'Destined Timing' Interpretation: The prevailing reading is that childhood friends are destined soulmates whose path required a temporary detour. By dating other people, Tae-o and Song-i shed their infantile assumptions, acquired romantic maturity, and finally learned to view each other as romantic partners rather than habitual security blankets.
• The 'Economic Inequity' Interpretation: A more cynical sociological reading suggests Song-i did not choose Tae-o purely because he was superior to Do-hyeon, but because Tae-o possessed the financial privilege to be emotionally available. Do-hyeon was crushed by systemic debt and working-class obligations, leaving him no leisure time to cater to Song-i's crises. In this view, the romance mirrors how economic privilege facilitates emotional intimacy.
• The 'Second Lead Syndrome' Reading: Many viewers and commentators interpreted Do-hyeon’s arc as the emotional core of the series, viewing Song-i and Do-hyeon's split as a tragic casualty of communication breakdowns rather than natural incompatibility.