“Love Class 3” has already come to an end, and the final episodes finally cleared some things up—but not without an unexpected twist and a side of blackmail.
With the group’s sudden disbandment, the announcement of Hyun Jae’s (Saebyeol) solo career, and Hyun Jae’s disappearance, it turns out there was more going on behind the scenes than what was first shown.
Here are the four major moments from episodes 15 and 16 in “Love Class 3” that lead to some much-needed closure:
Warning: spoilers up to episode 16 ahead!
1. Hyun Jae is blackmailed
Probably the biggest event of the final episodes is Hyun Jae’s departure from the company, which ultimately happens when the CEO gets a little too power hungry and tries to blackmail him. (Spoiler: big mistake.)
It all started last week when it was announced that the group would not move forward with their debut and everyone would go back to being trainees, except for Hyun Jae, who would go on as a solo artist. It felt a lot like what had already happened on the idol competition show “Next Stage,” when Hyun Jae was chosen to debut while Soo An (Seo Ihan) was eliminated.
An argument follows between Hyun Jae and Soo An, where Hyun Jae acts very out of character, appearing not to care about Soo An and what is happening. Afterwards, Hyun Jae disappears.
A flashback unveils what really went down with Hyun Jae, and what might be the show’s biggest twist is revealed.
As expected, the CEO is behind it all. What looked like Hyun Jae being unbothered last week isn’t the full story; he was actually fighting for the group before the CEO brought blackmail into play.
The CEO knows about Soo An and Hyun Jae’s relationship. In fact, he has known. Instead of sitting them down for an honest conversation like a decent boss or human being, he has been secretly keeping records of their private interactions at the company and copies of all their messages.
That’s why Hyun Jae pushed Soo An away during their confrontation in the practice room. Viewers only saw one angle of the situation. The truth is that Hyun Jae knew the cameras in the room were recording them, so he acted that way to not implicate Soo An further and get him in trouble. Seriously, is this an entertainment company or a prison?
At this point, Hyun Jae seems more than ready to pack his bags and walk away from the company, but the CEO pulls out another card from his evil bag of tricks, and the plot twist is just wild.
He hands Hyun Jae a paper with the score rankings on “Next Stage.” The twist? Soo An scored one place above Hyun Jae.
For whatever shady reason, the CEO worked with the show’s PD to rig the scores and make it so that Hyun Jae passed instead of Soo An. It looks like it was all a ploy to be able to have something over Hyun Jae’s head to control him at a time like this.
2. The CEO is exposed
The next order of events is the CEO’s downfall.
The CEO messed with the wrong person because Hyun Jae is one smart cookie, and he draws the line when Soo An is in trouble. It’s high time for payback.
During a private meeting, Hyun Jae secretly records the CEO while getting him to talk about rigging the competition scores. As it so happens, Hyun Jae has a killer poker face and easily pulls off fooling the CEO. If being an idol doesn’t work out, he definitely has a shot at an acting career.
Next, Hyun Jae exposes the CEO in a video to fans while also saying he is leaving the industry. Company fallout follows, and the CEO gets into legal trouble for all that he has done. Meanwhile, Hyun Jae is already gone without a trace.
It’s satisfying to see the CEO finally face consequences, but it also means every trainee and staff member who played no part is suddenly at a loss too.
To the very end, the CEO has proven he’s willing to do anything with his trainees to make a profit, including blackmail, bullying, and gaslighting. With the whole Soo An and Hyun Jae situation, invasion of privacy and spying can be added to his rap sheet.
There’s no denying that he only ever treated his trainees like products, not people. Now that he has been caught, at least it means he won’t be able to hurt other trainees like this ever again.
3. Khun leaves the company
Over in Thailand, Khun (Petch Panutuch Saelee) and Jae Min (Lee Woo Jin) are enjoying their vacation, but Khun is still getting things done in between their cute couple moments.
While all the company mess is unfolding, Khun manages to get out of his contract and leave. He tells Jae Min it was a hefty price to pay, but he did it so they can be together freely. Khun is so sweet to Jae Min, and these two are absolutely adorable together. Protect them at all costs!
Since Jae Min was also stabbed in the back by the CEO and kicked out of the company, the two have been in honeymoon mode in Thailand ever since. Their happy, feel-good era is still going strong, and they both sincerely deserve it.
4. Soo An succeeds (one year later)
In the final episode of the show, it jumps one year into the future, and things are looking up for all four guys.
While their careers in the idol industry didn’t go exactly according to plan for Khun, Jae Min, and Hyun Jae, Soo An finally gets his chance after years of trying to make it in a group. It seems like he’s going strong as a solo artist, and he’s surrounded by people who support him with no ulterior motives. However, there’s still something missing: Hyun Jae.
Soo An hasn’t been able to find Hyun Jae this whole time, but perfect K-drama timing strikes again. He gets a like on his social post by a cafe, and that tips him off. Piecing the clues together, Soo An goes to investigate and finds exactly who he has been looking for all this time.
It isn’t entirely clear where Soo An and Hyun Jae’s relationship will go, but at least they are free from the company that was so bad to them. Maybe they’ll have a real chance to be together now and can join Khun and Jae Min in their happiness.
Though they faced plenty of setbacks along the way, the four leads find their way to some well-earned peace and happiness in the end.
Start watching “Love Class 3” now:
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Asya’s a BL-biased Soompi writer with a love of K-pop and all types of Asian dramas. Some of her favorite shows are “Psychopath Diary,” “Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!,” “Light On Me,” “The Untamed,” “Go Go Squid!,” and “Cherry Magic!“
Currently watching: “Ticket to Heaven,” “Double Helix,” “Deep In,” The Prosecutor’s Proposal,” “Don’t Be Too Emotional,” “Mr. Kill,” and “A Winter Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hills’ Dream.”
Looking forward to: “Love Scandal,” “Magic Lover,” “Mr. Fanboy,” “The Love Matter,” and “Be My Player Two.’’